Heart in the Darkness
by Much About Nothing
Summary: Currently being revised/reworked - [AU] A heart lost in the darkness will always find the light. She was his light... A faithful encounter that will change the life of two. [ShadAmy] - Last Update: 04/26/11
1. The Rose Garden

**Special Note:** Chapter 1 was updated/revised on April 26, 2011. If you have read this chapter before that date, I would recommend reading it again since the plot and characters have changed quite a bit. Chapter 2 has also been revised however, the other chapters are being revised slowly and still remain in their old state. Please be advised that the story is **under reconstruction** and you should only read it at your own risk... for you'll find that right now it won't really make sense. Thank you!

This story takes place in an alternative universe.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the Sonic characters, Sega/Sonic Team does.

* * *

**Heart in the Darkness**

**Chapter One:The Rose Garden  
**

_The young man held her face on his hands, his cold eyes piecing her heart. They both knew it was the end of it all and there was no stopping it. He looked at the woman in front of him with caring eyes and pondered on his decision as he looked down at her pleading face. His ultimatum was too hard to bear for both, but it had to be done._

_He brought his lips to her forehead and there he laid a sweet kiss. She closed her eyes and a tear rolled down her face. Saying good-bye was the hardest thing she had ever done… and yet… there she was, letting her beloved follow an eternal life of solitude._

_Without looking back the man released her and began to walk away, into the darkness that had once imprisoned him, although this time, he was its master. Thanks to her._

_The sound of his vanishing steps was carried away with the night's air and only the echo of his last words remained._

"_A heart lost in the darkness will always find the light. You're the one that lit my path..."_

_THE END_

Amy Rose closed the book in her hands with watery eyes. Her gloved hands trailed along the sharp edges of the book as she let out a quiet sigh. The passion she bore for love was overwhelming and it had manifested in her fixation for romance novels. She had finished one more, but unlike the others, the ending wasn't quite what she had expected. The complications, the twists and turns, the endless obstacles—didn't all that lead to happy ending? To love bravely demolishing the walls that tore the lovers apart?

The sound of the train whistle interrupted her thoughts. She looked out the window of her compartment to find herself moving closer to her final destination, the prosperous town of Evergreen, her home town. _'Has it really been four years since I left?'_ the girl pondered. The town certainly reflected the passing of time. It was bigger and more beautiful than she remembered. Her emerald eyes lit up, as the train grew closer and closer to the prominent town.

If the years had changed the town, how had it changed her? The pink hedgehog looked at her reflection on the window. She was now eighteen and she didn't look very different. Her short quills remained in the same state; they were not longer or shorter. Her intense emerald eyes were still captivating and her bright smile complimented them. The only difference she seemed to notice was her body; naturally, as she had grown older, her body developed in certain ways. She was beginning to flourishing into a full-fledged woman.

The young hedgehog continued to look at her reflection. The pearl Victorian dress she wore was quite beautiful; the corset hugged her figure tightly and the lace secured it at the back. The high neckline and long pagoda sleeves were decorated with golden lace at the edges. The fabric of the skirt fell in cascades at the front, with the same golden lace as the others. The back bore the classic 'bump' of the same color as the lace of the skirt, boosting the dress up with a big ribbon and a medium-sized cascade. The ivory gloves and a matching headband completed the outfit nicely.

The train whistle sounded again, her destination just a few feet away. The pink hedgehog placed her novel in a purse and got ready to walk out of the compartment. As she walked through the hall and to an exit, she felt her heart thump in her chest. She felt excited to go back to her old home. As her feet touched the ground, she heard a soft voice call out her name.

"Amy, Amy!" a young rabbit exclaimed eagerly.

The rose hedgehog felt staggeringly happy at the sight of her friend and she rushed to her side. She opened her arms and wrapped them around the younger girl. She was moved; her best friend had been waiting for her to arrive and that was the sweetest start to her life back at Evergreen. "I'm so happy to see you Cream!" she said in a loving voice.

"I'm happy to see you too Amy," replied Cream the Rabbit in her gentle voice.

The young woman released the girl from her embrace and then examined her carefully. Her emerald orbs traced the changes that time had made on her friend. The rabbit was definitely taller and she was beginning to resemble a young version of her mother. Her white dress with orange lace, similar to her own, made her look like a porcelain doll; which suited the rabbit quite nicely.

"You sure have grown!" the older girl pointed out.

Her friend smiled and replied, "You have too and you look beautiful Amy. I'm sure that Mr. Sonic will fall in love with you when he sees you for sure!"

The sound of those words made Amy's heart ache. She knew that she would have to face him sooner or later, but the thought of encountering the charming hedgehog seemed to almost cause her distress. Whatever had happened before her departure four years ago still affected her deeply. She knew things were different and the thought of the past events weren't going to spoil her return. She was there to be with her friends, and that included Sonic, whom had been there for her numerous times and was an exceptional friend of hers.

Before she was able to reply, running steps attracted their attention. They turned towards the direction the sounds came from and they spotted a yellow fox running towards them.

"There you are Cream," Tails stopped running and slowed down, approaching the young rabbit, "I lost you in the crowd the moment the train arrived." The fox's attention turned to the older woman, a smile spread across his face as he said, "Amy! I'm glad to see you have arrived safely."

"Thank you," the rose girl replied and then continued, "Are you Creams' escort?"

"Y-yes," the young boy answered shyly.

Amy looked at the young couple; Tails was as shy as ever, blushing at the sound of the question, and Cream remained cheerful, always so innocent. It wasn't a surprise to see them together. The idea of young love was very romantic to her. The dates, the smiles, the shyness, the moments… it was all very wonderful.

Cream's eyes lit up, "We should go get some refreshments and catch up."

Tails broke from his temporary flustered state and said, "That's a great idea!"

The pink hedgehog nodded, happily following the lead of the young couple. She was eager to hear the stories and news that awaited her; she wanted to know everything that she had missed in the time she was gone. The day was young and she wanted to take advantage of it.

* * *

The air was filled with the smell of alcohol but it was drowned with the sound of laughter and loud music playing in the background of the noisy saloon. Tables filled with drunken men and gambling addicts were a great part of the atmosphere. Away from the loud scene at back room stood a dark hedgehog in front of a hooded shadow; both met in secret and talked in a low tone.

The hedgehog was a male with black fur and sharp red streaks on his quills, arms, and legs. He bore an unhappy expression accompanied by intense ruby eyes. He wore a long wine-colored trench coat with maroon pants, the shirt underneath the coat could not be seen and only the black tie stood out. The stranger was hidden in the shadows, only a pair of yellow eyes shone underneath his cloak.

"Where is he?" snarled the ebony hedgehog.

A low grim voice spoke, "You know I cannot tell you that… Shadow."

The dark hedgehog placed three fingers on his forehead, thinking. His troublesome chase had led him to another dead end. He grew annoyed at the lack of information and futile efforts resulting from the meeting with the shadowy figure. Suddenly, ruby eyes shot to the door. Shadow sensed a presence and decided to end the encounter then. He signaled the figure to leave by turning to see it; cold orbs locked on the figure. The cloaked shadow melted away and was absorbed by the floor, vanishing from sight.

The black and red hedgehog opened the door that separated him from the noisy saloon and found a blue hedgehog waiting for him on the other side. Emerald orbs from his new company moved to see him; the glaring sight made him grin, "It's you again."

The heroic hedgehog, Sonic, was leaning on a wall of the hallway, his arms crossed and his confident expression planted on his face, "What can I say? When I spot a challenge, I don't back down."

Shadow snorted, "You should know when to give up when your adversary is superior."

Both hedgehogs looked at each other with eager eyes, the tension in the small hall increased. The noise from the bar could be heard from their location. The piano played happily and the girls danced. However, neither paid any attention to the distractions. Slowly both moved to fighting stances, knowing what was coming. The hedgehogs shut off the noise and concentrated on each other.

A few seconds passed before the blue hedgehog threw a punch at his dark counter part. Shadow held his adversary's fist on his hand and then threw one of his own, but it was stopped in the same fashion by the other male. Both stood in the hallway with strong stances, forcefully attempting to overpower one another.

"I know you are the one responsible for this!" said Sonic, holding his ground.

Shadow snickered under his breath, "You know absolutely nothing."

Knowing they were evenly matched, the blue hedgehog decided to jump back and launch another attack. He ran with enough speed to power up the force behind his fist. The ebony hedgehog got ready to deflect the attack and, surely, he was able to grab the blue hedgehog by the arm and throw him past the open door and against the wall of the room he had previously been in.

The cerulean hedgehog grimaced as he hit the wall with enough force to go through it and then landed on the sidewalk outside the back of the building on a pile of rubble. The, now overpowered, hedgehog slowly stood from the mess with his knee on the floor and the other supporting his body. He cleaned the blood that dripped from his lip with his glove and grinned.

Shadow stared at his opponent with dark eyes. Once again, after countless encounters with the blue male, he was forced to engage in combat. He knew from his previous fights that the persistent hedgehog had a lot more fight left in him. He grew annoyed, at the thought that the fight was far from over. However, the quarrel was interrupted by a voice that called out his adversary's name.

"Sonic!" Tails exclaimed as he ran to his friend. Behind the fox came two girls running, worried about the serious situation that the blue hedgehog seemed to be in.

Knowing that the battle was over, the mysterious hedgehog began to walk way, towards the direction of the trio. The three watched as he grew closer, threatened by his presence. However, as he walked closer to them he expressed no interest in getting them involved. A pair of bright emerald eyes observed him as he continued, very familiar to the dark hedgehog.

Amy observed the ebony hedgehog that was walking the opposite direction. Her emerald orbs examined him carefully as he came closer. The moment they were side to side, his ruby eyes moved to see her, catching her off guard. When their eyes met she felt time stop, it was as if they were alone and the world around them had disappeared. Her heart stopped and so did her breathing. As they froze, no spoken words were exchanged, but their eyes took a chance to converse.

"_Who are you…?"_ her eyes asked innocently and curiously.

His solemn reply was a simple, _"No one…"_

Her emerald orbs explored his features; it all seemed so familiar to her. She looked back at his cold eyes and something struck her, _"Don't I know you…?"_

"Perhaps…" he responded in a low voice only loud enough for only her to hear him. His eyes moved off of her features and the timeless moment ended, and so he walked away, leaving her behind.

The rose female wanted to stop him, but she froze in place. All she did was look back and see him go. Her heart began to race, reality was back, and she could finally breathe. She was certain that she had met the mysterious hedgehog before, but she could not recall where or when.

"Amy, are you okay?" a soft voice called out. Cream was standing in front of the pink hedgehog with concerned eyes.

"Y-Yes, I'm fine," she stammered. Her attention moved to the two males standing behind the rabbit. Both were talking to each other, exchanging information about what had happened. The blue hedgehog seemed to be fine and even brushed off the dust from his clothes. The fox turned to see Amy and seemed to be telling Sonic about her arrival.

The blue hedgehog turned to see the girl and seemed to stare in awe. She looked truly beautiful, even he couldn't deny it. He walked towards Amy and smiled, "It's nice to see you again. Tails told me you guys are heading over to get some refreshments, mind if I tag along?"

"N-Not at all," she answered. The pink hedgehog inspected the male, trying to make sure he was okay.

"Don't worry about me! I'm doing great," he gave the young woman his arm and smiled eagerly, "Let's get going!"

The cerulean male began to walk side to side with Amy, his emerald eyes locked on her. The rose girl, however, was distracted and looking back. She walked mindlessly through the streets, her head elsewhere, perhaps with the thoughts of the dark hedgehog.

* * *

The group arrived at a fine tea parlor where they ordered light deserts and drinks. The trio of old friends informed Amy of the many changes that had taken place the last four years. The pink hedgehog listened attentively and even asked questions. However, as entertaining as her friends were, her thoughts seem to wonder off without her realizing. The dark hedgehog roamed in her mind and his ruby orbs were embedded in her head. She was sure she had seen those mesmerizing eyes somewhere. She wanted to find out who he was, but most importantly, how she knew him.

Time passed without any of them noticing. Their light meals had been finished for hours and only the company of the empty dishes remained. Cream noticed the time and politely dismissed herself, Tails followed her lead and so their company left, leaving the two hedgehogs by themselves.

"Amy." "Sonic." Both said at the same time. They shared a quiet second before Amy giggled at the moment. The blue hedgehog couldn't help but smile at the sound of her laughter.

The girl stopped laughing but a smile remained on her face, "You go first, Sonic."

The male hedgehog gazed at Amy before trying to speak. He opened his mouth but he did not seem to find the words to say what he was thinking. He closed his mouth and stayed quiet for a few seconds, trying to unscramble the words. He then tried again and talked in a sincere tone, "I wanted to apologize."

The rose hedgehog felt her heart stop abruptly. She knew she had to face him sooner or later, but she never thought he would bring up the subject. Not like that… not there… not yet. Although she had already forgiven him in her heart, she didn't want to discuss the subject. It had taken her long to forget the events before her departure. She didn't want to think about them again. It was all in the past, right? She fought back her feelings and replied, "There's nothing to apologize about."

The blue hedgehog stared into her eyes; it was hard for him to see what she was thinking. He honestly felt bad for what had happened, but he didn't know what to do. For four years he had been waiting for her to come back so he could face her and apologize personally. The thought of writing a letter with an apology wasn't his style. Now that she was there, with him, he had to apologize, "That day I—"

"It's in the past," the pink hedgehog interrupted him, trying to cut off the conversation before her feelings overwhelmed her. She knew it was painful and she wanted to move put the issue behind them once and for all.

Sonic reached for her hands and his eyes softened, "I'm sorry."

The rose hedgehog felt her heart sting and almost flinched. She continued to fight back her inner thoughts and tried to smile, "There's nothing to worry about; I already forgave you." They both stood in silence until the girl spoke, "Now it's my turn." She took her hands back and began looking at the hedgehog before her intensively, "Who was that guy outside the saloon?"

Sonic raised an eyebrow and fell back to his chair, "You mean Shadow?"

"Is that his name?" she moved up on her chair, paying attention to her companion's words.

"He's a real mystery here in the town," he watched as the girl grew attentive, "He arrived the day you left and no one knows anything about him. He's always away on trips, and when he comes back he rarely appears around the town."

"I see," the girl said as her eyes moved back and pondered on the information.

Sonic gazed at the girl and saw that she seemed interested on the topic, so he continued, "He lives on a big mansion on the east part of the town. There's another guy living with him named Espio, but just like him, he doesn't come out much."

'_Shadow,'_ the girl repeated in her head, _'the mysterious stranger.'_ She searched the deepest corners of her mind to try to find a connection between them. She was sure she knew him!

Sonic looked at the girl curiously, wanting to know why she was interested in the ebony hedgehog. As he looked at her, he spotted two waiters behind the girl who looked at them with glaring eyes. The blue hedgehog grinned at the sight. "You wanna go somewhere else? I can show you the town," he moved closer to her and whispered in her ear, "Because I think we've overstayed our welcome." He pointed at the waiters under their view. They had certainly been there for quite a while and they were trying to give them a hint.

Amy laughed and responded with a smile on her face, "I'd love to."

The blue hedgehog gave her his arm and she welcomed the gesture by placing her hand on it. They walked out of the tea parlor, laughing and talking merrily.

* * *

The town stood strong and active. People chatted in the streets, businesses were full, and children ran happily; every detail attracted Amy's attention. All the changes, the new businesses, the town had changed, but despite the change, her soul felt at home. Her eyes consumed all the sights, "The town has grown so much! It's incredible!"

"It sure has, it became quite prosperous," Sonic said simply.

As they continued to walk a man offered Amy an apple from his stand, "The sweetest for the young lady." He handed a shiny red apple to her and she welcomed it happily.

"Thank you," she said with a smile on her face.

The two continued walking and chatting. Amy was enchanted with the town, her eyes lit up and she exclaimed, "It's so beautiful!"

The blue hedgehog's eyes locked on the girl besides him. "Yes…" he said in a low tender voice, "truly beautiful."

"Did you say something?" the girl inquired curiously as she took a bite of her apple.

The blue hedgehog grinned, "Nothing."

"So where are we going?" she asked. They had been walking for quite a while, and she didn't know where they were headed.

Sonic looked ahead and said, "Somewhere special."

As the sidewalk began to run into an open field, rose bushes began to form and lead way to a garden. Many concrete tables, benches, and decorations, complete with a fountain, formed the immense garden. Roses crept up the walls and vines hung down attractively. The garden had a gothic feel to it and it was beautiful.

Amy's eyes explored every inch of the garden and her heart began to race. At that moment she felt herself lose control of her emotions, a sour and astonished frown formed deep in her heart. It was beautiful and inconsiderate surprise for her to be back at the place where the blue hedgehog had left her waiting the day of her departure.

The young woman blinked and the memories began to flow… the memories of that day…

A young pink hedgehog ran through the streets of the town, trying to find a certain boy. Her breath was abnormal but she continued to run, looking everywhere. She looked everywhere, but the he was nowhere to be found. She continued to search, determined to find him. And so the girl ran and ran, until she found her target lying down in a field of wild flowers, looking at the sky. Her emerald eyes brightened at the sight of her beloved.

The rose girl ran to his location, calling out his name, "Sonic!"

The charming boy looked back and spotted his friend running towards him. He stood up, seeing her stress her body to reach him as fast as she could. The girl stopped right in front of him and tried to catch her breath, the boy looked at her inquisitively, "Hey, Ames, is everything alright?"

The pink girl caught her breath and nodded happily. She had a knack for finding the blue hedgehog whether he was; it was like a game of 'hide and seek' to her. She loved chasing him, his smile, his eyes; the charming boy captured her heart since the day she laid eyes on him. A smile spread across her face as she shined in, "I found you!"

Amy held a colorful bag of treats and a letter firmly in her hands. She felt her heart race as she handed the objects to the boy before her. Loud thumps took her breath away as he took them, his emerald eyes observing the dazzling girl curiously.

The rose hedgehog bowed and said, "Please read it, okay?" Without any other words, the girl ran away in a hurry. Her sweet sent trailing in the wind and her hopes sailing in the immense blue sky.

The blue hedgehog looked at the mysterious letter in his hands and then at the direction the girl headed to. He opened the envelope and read the contents carefully, his emerald eyes taking in the words:

_Sonic,_

_Tomorrow I'm leaving this town and it might be the last time I see you. If you read this note, please meet me tomorrow morning at the rose garden. Please come see me, I have something very important to tell you! I'll be waiting for you!_

_With love,_

_Amy Rose_

Sonic held the letter carefully in his hand and then placed it besides him. He opened the colorful bag and pulled out a cookie shaped like him. He took a bite and laid back down, looking at the sunset in the horizon. His mind lost on the beautiful sight and the words in the letter.

The next morning Amy Rose had woken up early. She put her best dress on, looking forward to her encounter with the blue hedgehog. Her red dress with imbedded white rose decorations in her skirt reflected her passionate personality. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and imagined Sonic smiling and waiting at the garden with open arms. Ready for their meeting, she took a last look at herself and then got ready to leave.

Amy sat on a rock bench at the garden and looked around trying to find the blue hedgehog. She looked up at the sky and waited for a few minutes. After a while she stood up and looked around the garden, hoping to find him sitting at another bench, after all, she wasn't specific on where in the garden they would meet. She gave the garden two complete turns before she started to feel worried. However, she tried to reassure herself by thinking, _'He's probably late… he's never on time.'_

Time passed and the young girl continued to wait patiently for her beloved. The sun moved in the sky, signaling the hours that had past. A million excuses, made by her head, and a few hours later, and no one had arrived to see her. But she waited eagerly for the male to arrive and talk to her before it was time for her to go. Her head raged, _'He will come, he's going to come, he'll be here anytime!'_

The sun came down on the horizon and it struck her: _he wasn't coming_. Her eyes began to fill with tears and sobs burst out with them. Her body shook uncontrollably as she cried, thinking, _'If he would have come to see me I would have asked him to leave with me.'_

Not far from her location, a shadow saw her cry and watched in silence. His ruby eyes locked on the quivering girl who cried non-stop. Her sobs filled the air and the phantom decided to approach her. He took a single white rose into his hands and kneeled in front of the weeping girl.

The rose hedgehog locked her teary eyes on the figure before her. It was a black hedgehog with red stripes on his quills; his deep ruby eyes looked at her, captivating her. "Wh-who are you?" said Amy between silent sobs that interrupted her words as she spoke.

A cold solemn voice responded, "No one." The male held the rose close to her while his ruby eyes continued to gaze at her sad emerald orbs.

Amy wiped her face with her gloved hand and accepted the token. Her attention moved to the rose that was now in her hand; a white rose, representing innocence and purity fit for the girl. She felt herself calm down, and her sobs slowly melted away with the company. "Thank you," she said in a low voice.

The male stood up and looked at the sky, "Don't waste your tears on a fool who doesn't know what he has."

The young girl's eyes widened, she was surprised he knew the reason she was crying! She slowly looked up at his face and asked, "How did you—"

The ebony hedgehog looked down and answered, "Common sense." His cold eyes made it seem as if he was lost in thought, remembering something special. After a few seconds, the continued to talk, "Why would a girl be alone at such a remarkable place without a date and in such beautiful attire? Chances are: you were waiting for someone who failed to see what made you special."

Amy's emerald orbs were, once again, captured by the intense ruby eyes of the stranger. They both remained quiet, the company appreciated in silence. The male gestured for permission to sit beside her and she accepted the action.

The twilight began to take over and the dark sky signaled the girl that it was time to leave. She sighed, there were no more tears and only her broken heart remained.

At that moment her recurring memories gave her the answer she had been looking for. Her eyes widened when she realized,

"It was _him_!"

* * *

**Author's Notes:** That's the end of chapter one, thank you for reading. Character wise, the dialogue and story tend to complicate at times- seeing as it's set in an alternative universe and previous motives for characters are no longer there. But rest assured I will try my best to overcome any inconveniences. Currently, keep in mind that there are plenty of hidden motifs for Shadow's actions, which you will later find as the story progresses; I'm planning on keeping him, and everyone else, in character.

Once again thank you for reading and I would love to receive feedback/reviews.

**Chapter 2 Preview: The Ballroom**

A dark secret looms over the horizon and curiosity leads Amy to a tough spot as she searches for answers. Later, Shadow and Amy meet in a ballroom and find their lives forever intertwined with just one dance.

_Until Next Time!_


	2. The Ballroom

**Special Note:** Chapter 2 was updated/revised on April 26, 2011. If you have read this chapter before that date, I would recommend reading it again since the plot and characters have changed quite a bit. Also, the other chapters are being revised slowly, so please be advised that the story is **under reconstruction** and you should only read it at your own risk... for you'll find that right now it won't really make sense. Thank you!

This story takes place in an alternative universe.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the Sonic characters, Sega/Sonic Team does.

* * *

**Heart in the Darkness**

******Chapter Two: The Ballroom**  


At that moment her recurring memories gave her the answer she had been looking for. Her eyes widened when she realized,

"It was _him_!"

Amy gasped and covered her mouth in surprise. The day she had left the town she had met the mysterious hedgehog at the rose garden. That's how she knew him! But how could she forget him? She wondered. Perhaps the events were so saddening to her that she had unknowingly repressed them, making her forget Shadow in the progress.

The blue hedgehog moved closer to the girl who seemed to be in a trance and asked, "Are you okay?"

The rose girl came back to reality, a worried hedgehog stood beside her. Wanting to keep her thoughts to herself, the girl changed her expression immediately after the question and smiled, "I'm fine." However, the male continued staring in concern, uncertain if taking her to the garden had been a bad move on his part. As the girl observed her companion she confirmed she was fine by adding, "It's just that the garden is so much bigger now! I was overwhelmed because it's so magnificent."

The worry from Sonic's face vanished and he smiled, reassured by her words. He looked around the garden and then fixed his eyes on the girl, "They decided to expand the garden since it was quite popular."

The girl let go of her escort's arm and ran further inside the garden, running along the stone floor. She examined the new decorations; among them were angel sculptures, a bigger fountain replacing the old one, and a gothic around the garden. As she continued to explore she noticed that they had added a wider variety of roses. Reds, blues, whites, yellows, even oranges! All colors and sizes and it was just so glorious!

Amy began to twirl, her dress dancing with the movement. She was enjoying the nice and gentle breeze that ran through the beautiful location as she spun. The roses in the garden seemed to accept her as one of their own, and the girl, being a rose by name and beautiful by form, felt welcomed.

Her companion sat down at a bench and watched the girl with delight. His emerald eyes charmed by the sight before him. "You sure haven't changed!" he teased.

The girl stopped whirling and giggled, "I guess I haven't!"

"I'm glad you haven't," replied the blue hedgehog with a grin on his face.

Amy's smiled slowly disappeared from her face. Her emerald orbs locked on what seemed to be shadows moving in the brush. She blinked a couple of times, making sure she wasn't imagining it, but sure enough, it wasn't her mind playing tricks on her. The girl slowly backed off from where she was standing, growing alarmed at the sight of the shadows approaching their location. "Sonic…!" said the pink hedgehog alerting her friend.

The blue male stood up and spotted the shadows coming behind him. He narrowed his eyes and walked towards the girl and then grabbed the girl's hand, "We have to get out of here…!" He led her to the nearest exit in a hurry, trying to escape the ghostly figures.

Both hedgehogs quickly reached the town and once in it Amy took a chance to ask, "What's going on?"

The cerulean hedgehog turned to the girl and spoke, "Dark things have been happening in the town for a while now."

The girl blinked taken aback by the remark, "What do you mean?"

"It all started three years ago," Sonic looked back and no longer saw the phantoms after them. He let out a sigh and released the girl, feeling safe and secure. He looked at the girl and continued, "Things began to change… people began to fall ill."

The pink hedgehog observed the male curiously, trying to understand what he was trying to tell her.

"See," the charming hedgehog pointed out, "People have been falling into a strange state where, although their body is healthy, they seem to lose their free will and become mindless puppets; these people are able to continue their daily routines, but they don't respond to anything. It is almost as if they have no soul!"

Amy's eyes widened, "That's terrible! But then… what about the shadows?"

"They say that shadows always appear when someone falls ill," responded the male with a serious expression on his face, "I've seem them plenty of times… it seems they have been after me for a while, but I have been able to elude them."

"Does anyone know what or who is responsible for it?" asked the small girl terrified.

"No," Sonic replied simply, "Although there have been plenty of attacks, no one has come close to finding out the truth. Those who have, end up falling ill—or worse!" His eyes moved to the darkening sky, "Since then, people have ignored the problem, trying to hide the terrible secret that the town holds. Everyone is afraid that if they get involved, they too, will lose their souls."

The rose hedgehog began to ponder on the words that her companion had finish sharing with her, "Wait a second…! If the shadows are after you, doesn't that mean—"

"Yes," his eyes narrowed once again, "I'm after the one responsible for this!"

* * *

The door of the dark mansion opened, revealing a dark hedgehog at the entrance. The male walked in and shut the door behind him. His expression was solemn and cold. He made his way up a flight of stairs when he heard a voice coming from behind him in the shadows that drowned the house.

"Causing problems again?" inquired a pair of golden orbs.

The ebony hedgehog chose not to respond to this companion and continued to walk up the stairs.

"I told you not to attract any more attention than necessary to yourself, " said a purple chameleon walking out of the darkness, "We have been fine so far, we don't want anyone to get suspicious or take interest, Shadow."

"I've made sure that there aren't any clues leading to me or you," replied the ebony hedgehog in a dark tone.

"It's not about the clues," the chameleon moved to the base of the stairs, "We can easily control a person or two to prevent anything from compromising us."

Ruby eyes moved to the chameleon behind him, "Then what is it about?"

"That blue hedgehog you seem to encounter ever so often," answered his comrade.

The crimson and black hedgehog snorted, "Someone has to teach him a lesson for sticking his nose where it doesn't belong…"

Golden eyes pierced through the hedgehog, "You're only giving him more reasons to suspect you're the one responsible for—!"

"I'm going to take care of him soon," interrupted the hedgehog, "then you won't have anything to worry about, Espio."

The purple chameleon crossed his arms and knew it was impossible to get through the dark male. He let out a sigh, defeated, and then added, "Try not to make a mess this time."

Ruby orbs shone in the darkness and a grin appeared on the ebony hedgehog's face, "I don't think that's going to be possible."

The black hedgehog turned his eyes back to the floor that awaited him and continued up the flight of stairs. He then arrived to the second floor of the mansion where many doors waited. He calmly walked down the long hall until he reached a door at the very end. He turned the handle and arrived at a simple Gothic room, his room to be exact.

Shadow walked to one of the windows that lead to a balcony. He opened the glass doors and the wind from the dark night entered his room. In his mind, the memory of the rose girl remained; their first encounter played vividly in his head. His ruby eyes locked on the bright moon. Her essence reminded him of someone that was once very dear to him.

* * *

Amy Rose woke up the next morning with the sunlight that entered through her bedroom window. She slowly blinked her eyes, taking in the light little by little. The memories of the past day remained vivid in her head. After the encounter with the shadows, Sonic dropped her off at her old mansion. He warned her and told her to take care of herself now that she was back in the town. And that's how her night had ended, full of mystery and dark secrets.

As the pink hedgehog's thoughts traveled through past events, she stumbled upon the reminder of a very important event. "Wait…" the girl said in a low voice, trying to make out the mental note. "How could I forget?" she exclaimed as she jumped out of her bed. "I have been planning this for months now!" she ran through her room trying to find something to wear, "How could I forget my own party?"

The rose girl had been planning to throw a party to be re-introduced to the community the day after she arrived. Whoever, with so many things happening around her, she had become quite forgetful!

Amy finished getting ready and then looked out the window. She felt the morning breeze play with her quills as she observed the immense town through her window. Her eyes moved about until she spotted a mansion at the far east of the town. "Shadow…" the girl whispered in a soft voice. She closed her eyes and the memory of the ebony hedgehog came to her head…

_Amy observed the ebony hedgehog that was walking the opposite direction. Her emerald orbs examined him carefully as he came closer. The moment they were side to side, his ruby eyes moved to see her, catching her off guard. When their eyes met she felt time stop, it was as if they were alone and the world around them had disappeared. Her heart stopped and so did her breathing. As they froze, no spoken words were exchanged, but their eyes took a chance to converse._

"_Who are you…?" her eyes asked innocently and curiously._

_His solemn reply was a simple, "No one…"_

_Her emerald orbs explored his features; it all seemed so familiar to her. She looked back at his cold eyes and something struck her, "Don't I know you…?"_

"_Perhaps…" he responded in a low voice only loud enough for only her to hear him. His eyes moved off of her features and the timeless moment ended, and so he walked away, leaving her behind._

_The rose female wanted to stop him, but she froze in place. All she did was look back and see him go._

The young girl opened her eyes and smiled happily. The memory of his ruby eyes sent shivers through her body. She was eager to know more about the ebony hedgehog and at that moment she found the perfect reason to approach him: her party. She knew she hadn't sent him an invitation and that opened the opportunity for her to deliver it personally! Not only would she have him come to her party, but she would get a chance to talk to him personally before it!

"Brilliant!" exclaimed the hedgehog merrily. She knew that it was fine for her to head out, seeing as she had hired special help to decorate for the party. Assured of her actions the young girl eagerly headed out, straight to her destination, in hopes of finding the mysterious dark hedgehog.

* * *

Amy walked through the streets daydreaming about her future meeting Shadow. Many scenarios about her arrival at his manor and maybe-dialogue played constantly in her head. A big smile was planted on her face as she walked; it was obvious she was happy and excited. Her heart raced in her chest and her eyes shone in the sunlight.

Before the girl knew it, she had arrived at the main gate of the mansion, which was open. She eagerly walked in and headed to the mansion. Her emerald eyes explored the golden and black garden decorations as she walked along. Lions stood proudly at the corners of the stairs that led to the front door of the residence. She walked up the stairs and stood in front of a black door with golden lion handles. The rose girl inspected her dress before taking the handle on her hands and knocking. The loud bangs produced by her arrival seemed to echo inside the mansion… however, no one answered. She tried again and waited patiently. The door slowly opened, letting her in.

The pink hedgehog turned to thank the person responsible for opening the door but found no one. Her emerald orbs searched her surroundings for a maid or a butler, but the manor was dark and empty. As she turned to empty space in front of her, hoping someone would appear from the corner of the room at any time, the door shut loudly behind her. Frightened, the girl turned but found herself to be the only one in the room.

Amy tried to call out for someone, her voice echoing through the massive room, but no one responded. She decided to walk further inside the mansion in search of someone that could aid her or even the ebony hedgehog himself. As she walked through the dark hallways she passed many pictures of a beautiful blond girl in a royal blue dress. The girl curiously stopped many times to examine the pictures, _'I wonder who this is.'_

The pink hedgehog continued her journey down the manor until she took a flight of stairs and arrived at the second floor. Many doors stood down the long hall. She stood still for a few minutes pondering on whether or not she should take one of the doors or if it was best to leave. Deep in her head she knew it wasn't right for her to continue exploring the mansion unsupervised but her curiosity begged her to see more. After a few minutes she decided, she was unable to fight her curiously and wanted to continue exploring.

The rose girl walked through the hallway and opened the third door to her right. Inside the room, many Japanese decorations and weapons adorned the wall. She walked inside the room and found a picture book on a desk. She took it into her hands and opened it; it contained many pictures of a chameleon, a crocodile, and a small bee together. The trio acted very similar to brothers in many of the pictures, always laughing and joking. On the back cover of the book, an old date was written but it was hard to read. She put the book back where it belonged and walked out of the room.

Amy was back in the long hallway, without second thoughts, she took another door, and then another. Eventually she had looked inside each room, all of which were dark and empty. Finally, she walked to the last door at the very end of the hall and opened it.

The room wasn't empty like the others and it bore many pictures of the blond girl she had previously seen in the halls. _'She must've been really special,'_ the girl thought as she carefully studied the pictures. The blond had a beautiful smile, pure and innocent. Her eyes shone like bright blue stars and her face was so beautiful it looked like it was carved by angels. The young hedgehog spent some time studying the pictures until she heard a noise behind her and turned around quickly. The darkness made it hard to see but her eyes didn't spot anyone in the room. She walked out, trying to see if someone was out in the hall, but only found herself standing alone.

The rose hedgehog made her way down the stairs and then heard loud banging in one of the rooms she had not explored. She walked to the door and noticed it was slightly open. Curious, she decided to see who was there through the small crack. Inside the room was a chameleon training, he was kicking and punching the air rapidly. Suddenly, the male stopped and walked towards the door; the girl grew alarmed and almost shrieked in fear as she saw him coming.

Amy didn't know what to do and chose to run as fast and quietly as she could through the mansion, trying to find the exit. After countless halls and turns, she found herself in a large dining room. Swords and knights decorated the room and more pictures of the mysterious blond girl hung from the walls. Steps came closer to the room but she was unable to run any further, the room was a dead end.

"Hey!" someone called from behind her, "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

The pink hedgehog slowly turned to spot the same purple chameleon from before behind her. He had a towel wrapped around his neck and watched the girl annoyingly.

Trying to find her voice, the young hedgehog spoke quietly, "My name is Amy Rose, I- I was looking for someone."

Espio continued glaring at the girl, "That doesn't give you the right to barge in without notice."

Amy grew tense, knowing it had been wrong for her to come in without a proper escort. "I'm sorry, but the door opened by itself and I thought someone was there— so I walked inside but then no one was there and then it closed by itself and—" she attempted to explain her reasons for coming in but her words seemed to jumble up, making it almost impossible to tell what she was saying.

The chameleon grew annoyed and asked, "Who are you looking for?"

The girl stopped talking and then muttered, "Shadow…"

"He's not home," the golden-eyed chameleon remarked.

The rose girl's spirits dropped at the sound of his words, "Oh… okay."

They stood in silence until the chameleon broke his glare and let a sigh escape his lips, "Do you want to leave him a message or something?"

Amy nodded slowly and took out an invitation. She walked towards the chameleon and handed him the envelope in her hands, "Could you please give him this for me?"

Espio looked at the letter carefully and then at the girl.

"It's an invitation to a party tonight," the girl felt more comfortable without the chameleon glaring at her and smiled, "If you want to come, you are welcome to."

The chameleon was taken aback by the sudden smile and then asked, "Is that all?"

The young hedgehog nodded once again.

"Fine," the purple chameleon turned and then said, "Follow me."

Amy followed the chameleon to the entrance of the residence. He opened the door for her and she bowed before walking out. The door shut behind her and the girl sighed in relief. She walked out of the property and headed to her own manor. As she walked through the streets, a smile spread across her face because, even though she wasn't able to see Shadow, she trusted that the chameleon would give him the invitation to her party. She hoped to see him there later that day.

* * *

An annoyed red streaked, black hedgehog opened the door to his mansion and shut it behind him. It had been another long chase after his target that had been fruitless. He began to walk up the stairs and headed to his room. There he took one of the pictures from his desk and examined it.

"Someone came in looking for you," a familiar voice spoke.

The ebony hedgehog turned to see his comrade standing at the door frame with an envelope in his hands.

"It was a pink hedgehog named Amy Rose," the chameleon walked towards the dark male and handed him the envelope, "She asked for me to give you this invitation to her party tonight."

Shadow took the invitation from Espio's hands and looked at it carefully. He opened the envelope, inside was a cream colored invitation with golden vine decorations at the corners. The golden font gave him the exact directions to the party and the time.

"Are you planning on going?" inquired his companion.

"Yes," replied the ebony hedgehog, "There are a few things I must do."

"Then I'll go with you," the chameleon's golden orbs met with ruby ones, "I don't want you to cause a fight again."

* * *

The immense ballroom shone bright gold with the lights. The marble floor and crystal chandeliers gave the dance floor a perfect elegant appearance. At the far end of the room was a stage with an open curtain where the musicians sat playing slow, gentle music. Caterers with delectable finger foods and wine walked around the room, providing the guests with their desires.

The room grew quiet as Amy Rose made her way to the stage and delivered a speech, "Good evening everyone and welcome to my home." She smiled sweetly and continued, "I hope that everyone has been enjoying themselves tonight." Her emerald eyes traveled the crowd, "Tonight is a very special night for me because it signals my permanent arrival to Evergreen; back to the arms of my old friends and as well as some new ones." The speech continued for a few minutes before she came to a close, "Now, without further ado… let's dance!"

The rose hedgehog made her way down the steps of the stage, where she found Sonic offering his hand to her; she smiled and took it happily. They made their way to the dance floor and others, eager to dance, joined the couple. Music began to play in the background and the ball officially began.

The pink hedgehog felt comfortable and safe in the arms of the blue hedgehog; however, her heart seemed to be at ease. She still remembered the reasons why she was once very fond of the male, but it was no longer enough to lead her heart on to romantic escapades like it used to. The closeness of the moment was perfect as friends and nothing more.

The first dance came to an end and they parted. The night continued and Amy took the chance to welcome her guest personally. She chatted with old friends and made some new ones, all of whom seemed to be enjoying the ball.

As rose girl made her rounds around the room, she spotted Shadow standing behind the ice decorations and cup pyramid. She made her way to the table with the objects, eager to talk to him. Her eyes lit up as he turned to see her and rose his glass of wine as a sign of hello. The male placed his empty glass down, approached the table opposite of the rose girl, and then observed her through the decorations. Although he was able to partially see her, the wall of ornaments separated them from one another. In an attempt to overtake the wall, both slowly made their way down the table; ruby orbs met with emerald as they walked to the end.

The pink hedgehog felt her heart race once they reached the end and the dark hedgehog stood before her. Emotions rose as the ebony hedgehog bowed before her and then stood slowly; his ruby eyes bewitching the young woman. He offered his hand to her and the girl, hypnotized, welcomed it. He slowly led her to the dance floor. Both walked, hand in hand, eyes locked, in what seemed to be an enchanted moment.

The world around them seemed to vanish as they reached their destination; it was as if they were the only ones on the dance floor. Amy placed one of her hands on his shoulder and he, in turn, placed a hand on her waist. They both raised their already held hands and moved close to each other as the music began.

Shadow led her as they danced softly to the rhythm; they moved perfectly with sounds. They waltzed mildly and then they parted, still holding each other's hands. The rose hedgehog then twirled gently back to him and his open arms, her dress moved gracefully with her. He stood behind her as she returned, her arms were now wrapped around herself, and he held her close to his body. The music came to a quiet pause and he took that moment to whisper to her,

"I heard you were looking for me."

His warm breath tickled her neck and she couldn't help but smile, "Yes… I wanted to talk to you."

"I told you before…" the dark hedgehog's face was solemn and his voice cold, "I'm no one."

"And yet, someone in my mind," Amy said, almost below a whisper.

The music started playing again and they parted. The pink hedgehog spun out of his arms and back to him, her body against his and their faces close to one another. Her hand moved up to Shadow's face as she stared into his ruby eyes.

Taken aback by the gesture the ebony hedgehog took her hand into his, "It's not good to fall for a stranger."

"I never said I had fallen for you," she responded flirtatiously.

"Words are never necessary for such things…" the dark hedgehog's eyes locked on hers, "Your eyes tell me all."

They continued to dance, Amy naturally moving in his arms with his guidance while mesmerized by his eyes. Her own emerald orbs never turned away from them. There was something about those eyes that attracted her intensively. She explored his dark orbs that seemed so mysterious to her. At that moment they seemed passionate, yet, deep inside there was a spark of pain… almost as if he bore a great burden, something very saddening.

As the music came to an end, Shadow took the rose girl close to him and leaned down with her, almost touching the floor. Their faces only centimeters apart, so close that she could feel the warmth from his skin on her lips. She felt a strong urge to lean in closer but the moment was interrupted by a roar of applause. Her romantic moment was cut short as she came back to reality and observed the crowd gathered around them. Both hedgehogs stood together and then bowed. The crowd continued to applaud astonished by their performance. Wanting to escape and be alone with Shadow, she held his hand tightly and made her way off the dance floor. The male narrowed his eyes but did not fight back; he instead, followed the girl outside to a balcony where she let go of his hand.

Amy turned to see him, her eyes shone brightly with the moonlight, "I don't know why, but when I'm with you time seems to stop." She twirled with her hands on her chest and added, "It's so magical."

The black hedgehog looked at the girl and then up at the night sky. The stars were as bright as her eyes and the moon stood full and strong; it was a perfect night. He turned to see the girl, whose smile reminded him of _her_. Their essence was almost indistinguishable; they shared that special air which captivated him.

The male remained quiet, deep in his thoughts he began to question his motifs... like he had once done at the rose garden during their first encounter. It was a similar scenario: His true intentions had led him to lure the girl into his grasp so he could let her fall pray to the shadows. But once again, her presence, very similar to _hers_, made him question his plans.

Shadow knew that he could no longer let her escape, his dues were too high and his duty commanded him to proceed. With no personal malice for the rose hedgehog he continued the act. Her essence was similar to his beloved friend, but she was not _her_. And he would do anything to get _her_ back, even if that meant the end of the female before him.

The pink hedgehog stood in front of him and moved closer, "There's something different about you..."

Her sweet voice made the ebony hedgehog feel remorseful, almost ashamed of his actions. He couldn't possibly bring himself to harm the innocent girl. But he had to! Without notice, Shadow took the girl into his arms, bringing her close to his body. If he wanted to complete his task, it was now or never. He looked at the girl in his arms, who was overtaken by his actions. Slowly, he began to lean forward, his lips moving close to hers.

Amy felt herself fall prey to his arms, feeling weak and stunned. His ruby eyes seemed conflicted as he pulled her closer to him. It was obvious to her, now more than ever, that he carried a heavy burden in his heart. As her body weakened and her eyes began to close, she whispered, "Please… give yourself a chance… to be happy…"

Astonished by the rose girl's words, the dark hedgehog stopped dead in his tracks. The girl was now unconscious in his arms and shadows began to form around them. The phantoms seemed to twist and turn with the darkness of the night, eager to consume the girl's soul.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** That's the end of chapter two! Writing Shadow in this chapter became quite difficult for me since it's hard to picture him doing any of the dance scene actions... but I think I managed without doing too much damage to his character. Also, by giving him hidden motifs, I think it worked out fine. One more thing, if you didn't catch the hint... Shadow only approached Amy at the rose garden to steal her soul.

Thank you for reading and I would love to receive feedback/reviews.

A special thanks for all those who have read and reviewed the story!

**Chapter 3 Preview: The Graveyard**

With a heavy burden, Shadow reflects on his actions at the grave of his lost friend. His memories and the answer to the mysterious girl are answered as Amy encounters Shadow at the graveyard.

_Until Next Time!_


	3. The Graveyard

Disclaimer: You know it!

* * *

The ebony hedgehog walked towards her and then took her hand. He pulled her closer to him and held her in his arms closely, "There is something you could do."

"What is it...?" the young girl said almost breathless.

Shadow grinned and whispered in her ear, "Getting out of my life before it gets dangerous."

The young girl began feeling dizzy and almost lost her balance. She lost sense of time and everything turned black.

The ebony hedgehog held her in his arms, "Such a problematic fool."

The moon illuminated them with a silver-grey glow. He took a glance at her face and spotted a small smile. The pink hedgehog looked happy and peaceful. Seeing her like that reminded him of someone that he had met in the past, Maria. A sweet smile was always planted on his friend's face. There was nothing that could make her think negatively about anything or anyone.

It wasn't just the smile that bore a resemblance, her curious, cheerful, and positive nature was similar to that of the blonde girl. The rose hedgehog seemed almost like a reincarnation of her. Shadow shook those thoughts of his head; no one was like Maria, she was one of a kind. But pinkie here closely resembled her, and he couldn't change that fact.

The ebony hedgehog gazed at the young girl in his arms once again. He couldn't hurt her, even if he tried. She was saved by her smile, and someone she didn't even know.

The dark hedgehog placed her on a bench located near them and made sure she was in a comfortable position. He looked up at the sky; the stars were brighter than usual. It was then when he realized that an angelic glow covered Amy.

Shadow's ruby orbs locked on the girl's sweet smile. He leaned down and whispered to her ear, "I think it's better if you don't see me again." His voice became dark and grave, "It's for your own good… and mine."

"Amy!" a female voice called out, "Amy where are you?"

The black hedgehog heard voices people coming towards his location. "I think it's time for me to leave," he stood up and jumped off the balcony, landing safely on the ground.

"There she is!" Sonic pointed as he saw the pink hedgehog on the bench.

"What is she doing here?" Rouge examined the young girl. "It's cold! If she was sleepy she could've gone to her room."

"What if she didn't get her on her own free will?" the blue hedgehog said as he took her in his arms.

"You mean..." dismay was expressed by her the woman's voice.

"Yes," Sonic looked down at Amy, "they were after her."

"But she looks alright," Rouge examined the rose hedgehog again, "just look at that big smile on her face."

"It seems we arrived just in time."

"That's good," the white bat was relieved to hear those words.

"We're going to have to keep a closer eye on her."

"I agree; we don't want her to get hurt." The older woman began to walk back inside, "Sonic, take her to her room, I'll take care of the rest."

"Alright." The blue hedgehog walked inside the house and headed straight to Amy's room.

oOo

He opened the door of the room and placed the young girl on her bed. Afterwards he looked at her happy expression, "If I were you, I wouldn't be so happy. I don't know what I would do if I lost you... again."

Silence traveled through the atmosphere.

"From now on I'll keep an eye on you; I don't want you to get in any sort of trouble." Sonic closed his eyes and remembered what he saw earlier at the party.

----FLASHBACK---

Sonic was talking to his friends, enjoying the conversation, when they told him to look at the couple dancing. Everyone was amazed at how they danced; they were following each other perfectly, never missing a step. The girl danced gracefully, and the guy danced perfectly to the beat; he was her guide while they went around the dance floor. Her eyes never left him and his eyes never left her, they didn't realize there was a world around them.

The blue hedgehog walked closer to the dance floor to see the couple dance, then he realized it was Amy and Shadow dancing. His hand formed in to a fist, not only was he making his life impossible but he was stealing what he cared about the most. He was about to walk up to the ebony hedgehog and punch him, but a certain chameleon put a hand on his shoulder and signaled him to stop.

"If you put a hand on that guy, you're going to ruin that girl's party." Espio glared at the young male, "Do you want to make her unhappy?"

"..." Sonic looked at the dancing couple once again. He hit the chameleon's hand off him and walked away.

"I told Shadow not to get in trouble," the purple male mumbled.

---END OF FLASHBACK---

"And I think I know who your threat is," the male hedgehog's hand formed a fist. He didn't trust the dark hedgehog, and knowing she was with him made him worry.

* * *

Shadow walked through the lone streets. The only thing that illuminated the streets was the moon and stars, but he tried to walk in the shadows so he couldn't be seen by anyone. It was good that the streets were alone; he didn't want to see any faces around him.

The black hedgehog walked with his head down, thinking and wondering why he stopped. Usually the curse would drive him to do it without stopping, but he stopped this time. He stopped... he controlled the curse!

oOo

Shadow arrived at his mansion and opened the door, everything was dark and nothing could be seen. He assumed that Espio wasn't home yet, perhaps he was off somewhere else.

The black hedgehog walked upstairs and went to his room; he took off his trench coat and placed it on a chair. He opened the window by his bed, putting the curtains aside, and making the light from the moon come inside the room. His ruby eyes stared at the moon, it was bigger than usual, and the clear sky made it stand out even more.

The ebony hedgehog walked towards his bed and laid down, still looking at the beautiful silver moon. He let a sigh escape his lips and then closed his eyes, wondering deep into his mind.

A field of white flowers surrounded him. Butterflies flew around the field enjoying the sweet sent of the flowers. A blond girl stood in the middle of the field, she was sitting down with a flower on her hands. She was wearing a white dress that made her glow in the light of the moon. The wind played with her golden hair, and it danced on the wind.

"Maria...?" Shadow questioned the girl sitting on the field. He recognized the girl standing before him, but his eyes couldn't believe it. Was his mind playing tricks on him?

"Shadow, I'm glad you're here!" She smiled, "I've been waiting for you."

"Maria...!" Shadow ran to see his friend; he missed her throughout the years. "It's been so long... I-"

"I'm glad to see you're okay," the young girl gave him a warm hug and he gladly returned it.

"Where are we?" the male hedgehog looked at his surroundings, wondering where he was.

"A special place," the blonde girl said with a simple smile on her face.

"Is this heaven?" Shadow looked around, "It can't be... am I dead? But... I can't go to-"

"Please don't worry... It's not your time."

"It'll be better if it was..." Shadow mumbled under his breath; that was the wish the guilt of his sins caused.

"Please Shadow, don't punish yourself. It's not your fault," her blue eyes were sad to see her friend act that way. The Shadow she once knew wasn't like that, but the years weren't kind to him. She could see the effects all those years of solitude were doing to him.

"That doesn't change the fact that I'm still guilty for all of those things..." the black and red hedgehog took a glance at the moon. His ruby orbs were full of all sorts of emotions.

"I want you to enjoy life and be happy," Maria took one of his hands on hers and signaled him to turn to her.

"I don't think that's possible..." he closed his eyes in pain of the dark memories of his past, "This curse torments me."

"What if there's a cure out there?" the young girl said with hope in her voice.

"There is no cure!" Shadow realized that he yelled at his friend and turned to see the floor, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you..."

"It's okay, I understand what you're going through," the blonde girl gazed at the beautiful moon, "You can try your best to fight it, I know you can be cured."

"..." Shadow looked up at the sky, "It's beautiful isn't it?"

"Shadow, try to make up for all that guilt you feel, don't punish yourself like you do... Perhaps is time to find _him_ and your cure."

Shadow's eyes narrowed in disgust, "I've tried looking for _him_ and I couldn't find him. I thought that he would be in this town, where everything started."

Everything was quiet for a while. The butterflies continued to fly gracefully through the field. Some stopped in the flowers and stayed for a few seconds before flying off.

"Remember the time I fell in the river?"

"Yes, I got scared when you fell in."

"But you rescued me!" she beamed, "I'm so glad I met you, Shadow."

"But because of me you-"

"Don't say it... it wasn't your fault. Shadow, please try to be happy." The grip on his hand tighten, "I hope I see you again someday..."

"Where are you going?" her hand caressed the ebony hedgehog's face; he closed his eyes at the touch.

_There was no response..._

"Maria...?" Shadow opened his eyes and turned around to see that he was alone, and Maria was nowhere to be found. His face darkened and his hand formed a fist.

Was there a cure for his curse? If there was, he had to find _him_ as soon as possible, so his sins would be forgiven.

* * *

"Shadow..." Amy opened her eyes slowly and found out she was in her room. "Huh? I thought I was at the party...!"

"You were, until you fell asleep outside," Rouge was sitting on a corner of the room reading a book.

"I-"

_'There is something you could do... Getting out of my life before it gets dangerous,' _The pink hedgehog remembered Shadow's last words.

"Yes, I was tired, and it was pretty nice outside, and I..." the young girl looked at the ceiling, "fell asleep."

"Alright, I'm going to go eat breakfast."

"I'll be down in a while," Amy told the white bat before she walked out of her room.

The pink hedgehog closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. The memories of the previous night played on her head like a broken record. _'What happened after everything went black?'_ she questioned herself, trying hard to remember the events afterwards. Nothing came to her head; knowing that it was no use, she stopped thinking. A sigh escaped her lips in disappointment.

_'Why would Shadow not let me close to him?'_ she wondered. Was he hiding something from her and everyone around him? The questions kept coming to hear head, but the answers never appeared. Only the mysterious black hedgehog knew the answers, and he wasn't willing to tell her anything. His attitude towards people revealed that he wasn't very trusting, and that meant that in other to get the answers, she had to win his trust. But that was easier said than done, since the dark hedgehog didn't want her around. If there was a way to change his mind... how terrible was it for her to be around him?

oOo

Amy got ready for the day and walked to the dinning room. She ate breakfast quietly, not a word escaped her lips. Her head was in the events of the previous night and the reason Shadow told her to get away from his life. His eyes revealed pain and sorrow, and that was the reason she wanted to know more about him. What happened in his past? She had to know, she knew that deep inside of his heart he wanted some help.

"Did something happen yesterday?" Rouge asked as the rose girl pocked her breakfast.

The pink hedgehog shook her head.

"Then why are you so quiet today?"

"I don't know... I just feel tired," Amy didn't look at the older woman's face, signaling her that she didn't want to talk about it.

Rouge read the signal perfectly, and changed the topic, "I'm going out today."

"Where are you going?" the young girl rose her gaze to meet her friend's face.

"To see some business plans."

"Oh, okay."

"Be careful while I'm gone."

"Yes, I will."

They both finished breakfast, and Rouge left afterwards leaving Amy alone.

* * *

Amy wondered around the house in the early morning with nothing to do. Later that morning, she looked at the door and walked out; she had no destination in mind, but she wanted to get some fresh air.

The pink hedgehog walked, and walked, looking around to see if there was a place that interested her. She finally stopped at a graveyard, and walked inside the holy ground. She looked at all the graves and the flower arrangements in them. Why did she stop at a place like that? She wasn't very fond of graveyards, but there was something that made her stop. She walked deeper and further inside, until she spotted a certain black hedgehog in front of a grave.

"I'm sorry, Maria... I can't do what you told me, it's almost impossible to lift this guilt I feel for your death. If it weren't for me you wouldn't be here, 6 feet under." Shadow placed a single red rose on top of the grave, "I wish I was in your place, resting in that grave. You lived your life to the fullest, and were always happy, you deserved to live." The ebony hedgehog's words were melancholic, "Why am I still alive? Many have been hurt for my existence. It's not fair that you are there and I'm still here! Wondering this world, never being at peace, hurting so many... I would give anything... anything to go back and save you!"

"I don't think she wants you to feel guilty," Amy stood behind him, "I think she would like for you to be happy and live her part of life."

"..." Shadow kept his eyes on the grave, never turning to see the pink hedgehog. He didn't feel surprised to see her; after all, she had a thing for finding him.

"Everyone is alive for a reason, a reason that you must complete. If you're still here, that just means you haven't completed your mission in life." The young girl walked closer to the black hedgehog. "You need to find your reason for being here, alive and breathing! She completed hers, and I'm sure she was proud of what she did," She didn't know what she was actually saying; she only talked with her intuition. The words came to her lips naturally, she spoke with her heart.

"Sacrificing herself for someone like me... that wasn't her mission," Shadow's hand formed a fist. _'She isn't right; Maria didn't deserve to die for me.'_

"It probably wasn't in your eyes, but it was on hers." Amy looked at him with worried eyes; she didn't like to see him, or anyone for that matter, like that.

"..." no words escaped the ebony hedgehog's lips. The pink hedgehog's words traveled deeply into his head, making him think what the real truth might be. The truth he denied; the simple truth that he detested with all his heart.

"She died to protect someone dear to her; I think that's an honorable reason. Whoever she was, I'm sure she didn't have any regrets." Her worried expression changed to a small smile, "When you truly care for someone, you would give the world to them. Perhaps she gave you another chance in life to be happy and enjoy what's around you."

"You sound like her," ruby eyes trailed to the person behind him.

"What do you mean?" Amy was surprised he would say such a thing.

"Always positive, never noticing anything negative."

"..." the rose female was speechless, she felt flattered.

"Why are you still following me? I told you to get out of my life," Shadow had a hint of annoyance in his voice. The sympathetic conversation was over, and he had no intention on carrying it on. He didn't want to hear her words, especially because she knew little about him and the problem.

"I don't know what it is, but there's something that makes me cross your path," Amy only responded with the truth of her appearance.

"If you continue to be around me, you're going to regret it," the ebony hedgehog turned to see her, his eyes were darker than usual.

"I don't see anything bad on seeing you."

"If you want to die, you're welcomed to follow me," he wasn't going to worry about her safety anymore. The only reason he spared her life was because of Maria; nothing more, nothing less.

"I'll do what I wish to do," the pink hedgehog responded displeased by his remarks.

"You're very stubborn," the black hedgehog glared at her.

"Everyone tells me that."

"Next time you see me, don't butt in into conversations that don't concern you," Shadow walked away and left her in front of the grave alone.

"Was he always this negative...?" her eyes wondered off to the grave and she read the name carved into it, _'Maria Robotnik.'_

* * *

Shadow walked out of the graveyard and into the streets, someone saw him and followed. His mind was confused, and he couldn't analyze anything. Ever since the previous night, he had been thinking of Maria more than usual.

'_It was all the doing of the pink hedgehog, why did she have to appear all of the sudden?'_ his guilt felt heavier than usual, making him angry at himself for all the sins he had.

_'Everyone is alive for a reason, a reason that you must complete. If you're still here, that just means you haven't completed your mission in life. You need to find your reason for being here, alive and breathing!'_ Amy's words were still in the black hedgehog's head.

_'It's like you're still here, making sure I take the right path,'_ a small smile played in Shadow's lips, but just for a small second. A second that for once made him happy in decades... just a second... of hope.

The ebony hedgehog arrived at his mansion and opened the door. A purple chameleon was leaning against a wall, waiting for the black hedgehog to arrive.

"Where were you?" Espio asked Shadow as he walked inside.

"Do you have to keep an eye on me every time I go out?" the male hedgehog was irritated by his companion's actions.

"I told you that I don't want you to cause any trouble," the purple chameleon knew that Shadow didn't like being watched. However, he did it for their protection, not only them, but the people that lived in that town.

"I was visiting someone," the black hedgehog walked further inside the mansion and headed to the dinning room.

"You mean, Maria?" the chameleon inquired.

A small chuckle escaped his lips, "Whom else?"

"That pink hedgehog," Espio's eyes narrowed as he waited for his companion's reaction. He probably thought that he wasn't aware of their connection.

"Why would I see her? She's annoying and can't keep her nose out of my business," the ebony hedgehog took a bottle of wine on his hands, and then a cup.

"Is that how you really feel about her? That's not what I saw yesterday," the chameleon took advantage of the events in the previous night to tease Shadow.

"What are you talking about?" the black hedgehog glared at his companion.

"The dance, I was there to see everything and stop a _fight_," the chameleon emphasized the 'fight' part of the sentence to get Shadow's attention.

"A fight?"

"Sonic seemed pretty pissed after that dance."

"He needs to get over himself," the ebony hedgehog poured some wine in the cup and stirred it.

"It was because of that girl."

"I guess we found a weak spot," a malicious grin was planted on the black hedgehog's lips, "We could use her to control him when the right time comes."

"Wasn't that part of your plan from the start?"

"Hmph," Shadow took a sip of the wine, "we have... company."

* * *

A/N: Here's chapter 3! I hope you guys liked it. Thank you guys so much for the reviews, they mean a lot to me.

Chapter 4: Your voice, My heart

A newcomer arrives to leave treacherous and unpleasant news for Shadow and Espio. How will they react to them? There's something that makes Shadow and Amy cross paths, but what is it? Amy finds herself lost in a dream that may lead to future disaster.

Thanks to: All of my reviewers & readers!

_Until Next Time!_


	4. Your Voice, My Heart

Disclaimer: You know it...

* * *

"I guess we found a weak spot," a malicious grin was planted on the black hedgehog's lips, "We could use her to control him when the right time comes."

"Wasn't that part of your plan from the start?"

"Hmph," Shadow took a sip of the wine, "we have... company."

The door of the mansion busted open revealing a person dressed in a black cloak; he wore a hood and his face couldn't be seen. The mysterious newcomer looked around and spotted the two companions in the dinning room. He entered the dinning room and was received by a warm welcome.

"What the hell do you want with us?" Shadow demanded the reason for the newcomer's visit. He placed the cup of wine on the table and paid full attention to the mysterious person.

"It's been a while since we saw one of you..." Espio narrowed his eyes towards the mysterious person standing before them. Both, Shadow and Espio were unhappy to see the newcomer.

"I can see you two are _pleased_ to see me... but don't worry, I'll make this quick." The newcomer's voice was dark and deep, "I've brought news from our master."

The ebony hedgehog's expression became darkly solemn, "After all this years he decides to boss us around again?"

"He can do what he wishes to do with you! You don't have a word on this," the newcomer informed Shadow as if he wasn't aware of the circumstances. Both Espio and Shadow were under control of their _'Master,' whether_ they liked it or not; the reason was unknown to everyone, and the answer was hidden in their past.

"Why did he send one of his puppets to tell us our 'mission'!" the dark hedgehog's voice was full of rampant anger, "Can't he do anything himself?!"

"That doesn't concern you, the Master's been busy." Two red sparks were seen under the hood of his cloak, "I don't understand why the Master has kept you alive. You're a bloody traitor who doesn't deserve to be used by the Master."

"Look who's talking! You're the worse excuse for a messenger I've seen!" Shadow grinned.

"Instead of wasting our time, tell us what he said," the chameleon interrupted the quarrel.

"He told me to give you this," the newcomer handed a letter to Espio, "And he said that if you refuse... he'll take matters into his own hands."

The newcomer headed out of the mansion, but he was stopped by Shadow. The black hedgehog took him by the collar and raised him in the air, "Tell him that next time I see him, I'm going to shove him to the very pits of hell." After saying those words, Shadow threw him outside the mansion, and then shut the door closed.

Espio had already read the letter when his companion came back; his expression was unpleasant, "I think I'll help you... I'll open the gates, and you throw him in."

Shadow grinned when he heard the chameleon's remarks. The black hedgehog took the letter from the table and the cup into his hands. The grin was quickly erased, only to be replaced by a bitter frown. The grip on the cup tightened, and he crushed the cup in his hands. The dark liquid and shattered glass fell from his hand to the floor; the wine dripped slowly through his fingers, and there were still remaining of the shattered glass on the black hedgehog's hand. Shadow's hand formed a fist, causing the shards of glass to cut through his skin. Soon, blood started dripping to the ground, combining itself with the wine on the floor.

"Espio," the ebony hedgehog called, "I think it's time to confront him again, once and for all."

"Understood," the chameleon confirmed, "What shall I do?"

"Remain in the mansion just in case he sends more information about this mission." Shadow started walking away, "I'll get some information about his location."

* * *

The sky became cloudy, and the wind blew hard. Shadow walked out of his mansion with a determined look on his face. His mind forgot everything and anything; it only concentrated on one thing: the person who made his life miserable. The black hedgehog didn't want to take any orders from the 'Master,' especially after all those years he suffered. He was going to catch and kill that bastard, even if it meant risking his own life, all he wanted was revenge.

The streaked hedgehog walked inside the graveyard he had left earlier, but this time, he was there to deal a serious business. He passed a number of graveyards until arriving at the end of the holy ground. Shadow stood in front of a tombstone, the letters on it weren't legible. He kneeled down and placed his hand on the letters; his lips started moving, chanting something in a whisper; the letters beneath his hand started glowing and the ground behind the tombstone opened in two, revealing a stair case to an underground path.

The black hedgehog stood up and walked down the staircase. Not far from his past location, in front of the tombstone, stood a certain pink hedgehog. Apparently, Amy hadn't left the holy ground after he left earlier. Emerald eyes trailed to the staircase in curiosity, her feet started moving towards it. Making sure no one was around, she took the stairs to the mysterious underground passage.

Amy placed one of her hands on the wall to support herself. As her body moved down the stairs, her hand moved along the wall. Her fingers ran through some carvings on the wall, making her stop for a moment. Her hand started moving along the part of the wall where she found the carvings. Her eyes couldn't tell what it said because of the darkness of the passage; with no luck on finding out what it said, she continued moving down the stairs.

The passage was pitch-black, and she couldn't see where she was going, resulting on taking a false step. The pink hedgehog was about to fall down the stairs when she held on to something on the wall, it was some sort of candelabra. She pulled it down by accident and candles along the passage started to lit. Her hands released the candelabra, and her feet continued to move carefully down the stairs.

oOo

The passage led to a dark room with four blue torches in every corner. In the middle of the room stood a black hedgehog with red stripes, his arms were extended along his sides, "Hear me shadows of the underworld, I command you to rise before my eyes." His hand punched the ground beneath his feet, and lights lit the many carvings in the room, "Come out you bloody bastards..."

Black figures appeared from the shadows on the walls and from beneath the ground. They had no human or furry features, only two red sparks that seemed to be eyes. The dark figures gathered around Shadow, for it was him who summoned them. "It's been long... Shadow," the largest of the figures, the leader, spoke to him.

"There's no need to tell me," Shadow crossed his arms, "_he_ put a seal on the grave, making it impossible for me to enter."

"The Master didn't want you to interrupt him," the leader of the shadows moved his claw like fingers when he talked.

"Interrupt him from what?!" Shadow's hand formed a fist, "Doing his dirty work?!"

"What is wrong? You did not deny his orders before..."

Those words made him flinch, "Things have changed; I think it's time I pay him back."

"Pay him back?" The black figure chuckled, "You are planning to rebel against the Master, again?"

"And you're going to be part of it this time," ruby eyes locked on the dark figure.

Another chuckle escaped the dark figure, "No, no, no my boy... you do not remember the punishment he gave you last time?"

"I think I'm living proof of what he did," Shadow's eyes closed in concentration, "Tell me his location."

"Shadow, we are no longer under your command."

The black hedgehog's eyes shot open, "What...?"

"The Master... he ordered us to refuse any of your requests."

"Figures..." the ebony hedgehog headed back to the passage. If they weren't going to help him, he was getting the information another way.

"We are afraid we cannot let you go, Shadow." The dark figures surrounded Shadow, blocking his path, "Not with those plans to rebel against the Master."

"Try to stop me," the dark hedgehog kicked the figures, but his kicks only went through their dark bodies, "Damn it."

The dark figures laughed at the sight of his reaction. They all leaped towards Shadow and covered him with their bodies, forming a dark mantle. Under the mantle, he was crushed against the floor; the mantle was heavier than he thought, "The Master will love to deal with you again."

This time, a chuckle escaped Shadow's lips, "Tell him that this time it's going to be the other way." Under the mantle golden lights were seen inside, "Chaos Spear!" The lights hit the shadows, making them back away. He ran to the passage, but this time someone was standing in the way, "It's you!"

The dark figures surrounded a clueless rose hedgehog, "Wha-!" Their claw hands took a hold of Amy, "Let me go you creeps!"

"Who is this girl, Shadow?" the leader of the dark figures inquired.

The streaked hedgehog snarled, "That's none of your concern."

The leader signaled the others to bring Amy to the opposite side of the room; the dark figures submerged in the floor, and appeared at the other side, "You know what happened last time... Shadow are you not concerned about the consequences of your actions?" One of the shadows stood in front of Amy, its hand formed a dagger and it pointed to her heart.

Small tears formed on the pink hedgehog's eyes, "Shadow..."

"Now, Shadow... if you turn yourself over, we may let the girl go."

The ebony hedgehog didn't take long to answer, "Do what you want with her." He walked towards the passage, ignoring the frightened girl.

Amy's eyes widen in shock, tears started flowing, "Shadow... please..."

Shadow heard her words and turned to see her. Her ever cheerful face was full of tears, and that made him feel uneasy. Why should he care? After all, he gave her a warning, but 'pinkie' didn't listen. _'It's her damn fault for following me,'_ even though those words flowed through his head, there was a strange sensation in his mind; a sensation that he couldn't make out, but he knew it told him to save her. An irritated growl was heard before he ran towards Amy, "Chaos Spear!"

The golden spears hit the shadows, sending them flying against the wall and releasing their grip on Amy, "Shadow...!" Her face held a relieved look, as well as a happy shine on her eyes.

"What are you waiting for?" The dark hedgehog took her hand almost dragging her to the exit, "Let's go!"

The room started shaking and dirt fell from the ceiling; Amy gasped at the sight of the current state of the room, "This place is falling apart!"

As they reached the passage Shadow let go of her hand and turned back, "You keep going, I have something to do!"

The streaked hedgehog ran back to the room and Amy stood motionless in the passage, _'Shadow... please be careful...' _After a few moments of staring at him, she kept going up.

Shadow went back to the room and spotted the dark figures that were submerging in the floor. He ran to the leader who was still in the surface, "Tell me his location!"

"I told you Shadow, I cannot do that."

The dark hedgehog's eyes closed and an idea struck him, "I'll make a deal with you then."

"A deal you say?" his voice was thoughtful.

"If you tell me his location, I'll give you your freedom," the room was about to collapse under them, but Shadow waited patiently for the answer.

"He is-" a rock fell on top of the dark figure, the black hedgehog growled in irritation.

"Damn it!" seeing that he wasn't going to get his answer, he ran back to the passage. As he ran up a shrill cry was heard further in the passage, Shadow ran faster, knowing it was Amy who was probably in danger.

"Shadow!" the young female cried out as she saw him coming towards her.

"What is it?" the black hedgehog inquired.

"We can't escape...!" Amy pointed at the rocks in front of her that were blocking the passage's exit.

"Chaos Spear!" Shadow shot the rocks down and cleared the way.

oOo

After a few minutes of running, they reached the graveyard and the passage fell apart before their eyes. They both stood in front of the tombstone, no words were exchanged. Amy felt the awkwardness of the moment and decided to break the silence, "Shadow... I-"

"Shouldn't have followed me," the black hedgehog finished off her sentence. His face never turned to see her, and she felt her own fall in shame.

The rose hedgehog was agitated, "I'm... I'm very-"

"Sorry...?" a chuckle escaped the male's lips.

"I-"

"You never listened to me," his ruby eyes turned to see her, "it's your own damn fault for following me."

She felt pressured by his crimson eyes, "I was-"

"Curious?" a small grin appeared on Shadow's face, contrasting his piercing eyes, "You were so eager to die?"

"No... I was-"

"Well if that wasn't the case why didn't you listen to me? I told you before, if you follow me, if you insist on knowing more about me, be prepared to die," the dark hedgehog crossed his arms. "Don't you understand?"

"Shadow...! Don't _you_ understand? I want to help you!"

"Why must you insist on doing so?"

Her eyes locked on his, "I want to help you find your purpose in life...! I want you to be happy!"

Shadow was taken aback by the determined remarks. A small memory played on the hedgehog's head...

--Flashback--

The wind blew by the ravishing garden behind a mansion; a cherry blossom tree stood in the middle of the garden, petals fell from the great tree as two young figures sat under it. Maria, a young blond girl, sat besides the dark hedgehog, enjoying the breeze of the day. She smiled as the wind played with her face, and Shadow smiled at the delightful sight of his friend. They both shared a nice conversation about the wonders of the world as Shadow explained how small things worked around them.

"Thus, color is formed in the petals of the cherry blossom tree."

"Wow..." Maria praised Shadow's knowledge, "You know a lot of things Shadow; you're really smart!"

The black hedgehog simply smiled, but his expression was artificial, "I suppose you're right..."

"Shadow, is something wrong?" Maria inquired as her sight was taken by the dark hedgehog.

"It's just that I don't remember how I learned all this... I just know it... without a reason..." Shadow cogitated.

"Shadow..." Maria threw her arms around the small hedgehog. The young girl didn't know what to say to him because she didn't know the truth herself, but she wished she did, just to see him happy. Her friend's happiness meant a lot to her, much more than anything else in the world.

"Maria... why am I here...?" the hedgehog's voice was low.

"I don't know Shadow... but I want to help you find your purpose in life!" The blond girl pulled away gently and gazed at her friend's eyes, "I want you to be happy!"

Shadow stared at her deeply, her words were like an angel's touch, and they healed all the wounds in his heart. Deep in his mind he confirmed a single sentence, _'I exist to make you happy, Maria.'_

--End of flashback--

Shadow turned around, giving his back to the pink hedgehog. He had enough listen to the girl's unreflective remarks; it was just a waste of his time. As he started to walk away, Amy threw her arms around him, signaling him to stop and listen to her. His body tensed at the contact it made with her warm body.

"Please... try to understand," her embrace grew stronger as she said those words.

"I have nothing to sympathize."

His hands removed hers from around his body, and he gave her one last glance, this time his eyes were dark and distant. Amy's eyes widen as she realized that it seemed almost impossible to reach his heart. That last glance made her loose hope for more than a second, because that last glance revealed the truth about his heart. His heart was not only crushed, it was forever wounded. Was it really to late for her words to reach his heart?

The rose hedgehog doubted herself deeply, but her strong heart told her not to give up, because she was the only hope he had left. She knew that if she tried, the dark hedgehog would eventually realize the truth about himself and find all the answers he sought; those answers that only his heart could respond to.

* * *

--Amy's PoV--

The stars are hidden behind the clouds tonight, afraid to show their beautiful glow, and the moon is covered in complete darkness, all by itself... alone. I, too, feel like the moon, lonely and lost; Lost in the confusion of my thoughts and the beats of my heart. Trying to figure out what's wrong and what's right. I'm stuck between two worlds, not knowing the right path.

I take a stuffed animal from my bed and I ask, "Tell me... what's right?"

Its mouth doesn't move but the crystal eyes look at me, yet nothing is seen inside them; it has no feelings, no heart, no real expression. My question can't be answered because it's merely a stuffed animal. What would it know about life? It's lifeless... its existence is practically unimportant; just a regular material object, with the sole purpose of entertainment. No words can come out of its mouth; no feelings can be expressed through its eyes.

I look deep inside the crystal orbs; the only thing I see is limitless darkness; that of which reminds me of him. He's a mystery covered by a bewildering haze that can't be moved by anything or anyone. I want to be the one to see through the haze; the one to discover his concealed secret. If I found out that secret, I would be able to free him from his self-punishment. I want to be his cure; I want to be his salvation; I want to be the amnesty to his heart.

His crimson eyes always attracted my attention; they're deep pools of red that reveal his true feelings. The first time I saw them there was nothing but deep darkness. The day at the dance I began to see much more inside them; but today my heart ached every time I saw them. The solitude that he lives in makes his eyes even darker; I fear that if he continues to live the way he is right now, he'll eventually become a heartless soul. Those crimson eyes weren't far from their death, and his heart was close to the final punishment.

"The final punishment..." my sight became blurry, and my eyes burned. I looked at the stuffed animal one more time, before embracing it. If you could only feel my warm embrace; if you could only feel the fear in my heart; the fear to know that he wasn't far from becoming just like you...

* * *

A/N: Chapter 4 done! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I loved the ending; as a matter of fact, that was the first thing I wrote for this chapter. Oh, and thank you so much for the reviews! They make me so happy.

Chapter 5: Forbidden

Amy tries to make Shadow open up, but he keeps on pushing her away. Will he realize that she's only trying to help? As time passes a lot of events go by fast and plans develop. When Shadow and Espio think they found some answers, their Master appears to tell them otherwise. Will it be too late for the two companion's plan to work out?

Thanks to: Everyone who reads the story, and my lovable reviewers!

_Until Next Time!_


	5. Forbidden

Disclaimer: You know it...

* * *

The darkness of the night covered the whole town; the stars remained behind the clouds and the moon shone through the darkness. A lone male hedgehog stood in front of an opened window, his gaze was on the moon. Ruby orbs held vacuous thoughts that traveled with the night's air. Deep in his mind the image of a pink hedgehog danced through his head; a smile that represented her upbeat personality was planted on her face and her emerald eyes shone with warm passion. Shadow shook those thoughts out of his head; never had he had so much trouble concentrating on his real objective.

However, the dark hedgehog couldn't stop thinking about Amy's words earlier that day; simple words that traveled deep into his consciousness and begged for a change of heart. She spoke the same words his precious friend, Maria, once spoke. Their words were alike, but were their goals the same?

For now Shadow would only deny her requests and pleas; he couldn't trust the rose hedgehog or anyone else, he was alone. He no longer believed in hope or dreams, they were all crushed in his past.

The ebony hedgehog walked away from the window and headed to his bed. Tomorrow would be a new day and it would bring new opportunities for his new plan. Vengeance was so close he could taste it.

Why would he have a change of heart after all the things that mattered to him were already lost...

* * *

Espio's office door shot open revealing a streaked hedgehog.

"Do you always have to make a big entrance?" the chameleon pointed out.

"I try," Shadow grinned in response.

"What happened yesterday? I only saw you come inside the house and go straight to your room."

"You know how much I hate to be kept an eye on," Shadow replied. "But if you must know... something inconvenient happened yesterday when I went to the grave."

"They didn't tell you his location, did they?" Espio implied.

"No," the dark hedgehog paced around the room.

"I was prepared for that," the purple male pulled out a list of documents.

"What are those?" Shadow sat on a chair in front of Espio's desk.

"These are documents I recorded with all of his past locations," Espio searched all of the papers on his desk. "I'm going to study them and try to find a clue or a pattern about his location."

"How long are you going to take?" the ebony hedgehog said impatiently.

"Around four months, or more..." The chameleon pulled a pen and a magnifier out of his drawer, "I don't think he would make his location obvious."

"Knowing him, he's going to keep us guessing."

"Exactly."

"He will keep moving around so we don't find his location; he's such a coward!" Shadow said with hatred emanating from his cold voice.

"By the way, I sent _her _a message, just in case something like this would happen," the purple male said with his eyes glued on the documents before him.

The dark hedgehog grinned, "So, she's still after his trail."

"I wouldn't blame her," the chameleon's gaze rose to his dark companion. "She wants her freedom as much as we do."

"Espio," Shadow's voice was low, "why do you want to get rid of him? Is it only for your freedom, or is there something else to it?"

Espio's eyes widen, "I never expected you to ask me such a thing."

"Don't answer it if you don't want to," the ebony hedgehog started to walk away.

"I'm doing it for them, not for myself," the chameleon released the objects in his hands. "And I won't rest until he's gone..."

Shadow continued to walk away, "I'm going out and I'll be back later."

"That was their last wish," Espio whispered once his companion was out of the room.

* * *

_'Is there something else to it?'_

Anger and chaos were all part of Shadow's revenge, but ever since that pink hedgehog entered his life he wondered if that was what Maria wanted... Was that what he really wanted? Why did he doubt the revenge he planned ever since then? But his revenge was all there was to it, right?

That was his wish, revenge...

But was it hers as well...?

"Is there something else to it?"

"Talking to yourself again, huh?" a cheerful voice called out.

Shadow's gaze turned to a lone pink female who was running towards him, _'Great...'_

"It's you again," the ebony hedgehog rolled his eyes.

"I have a name you know!" Amy fumed.

The black hedgehog just ignored her.

"I'm Amy, Amy Rose!" she said with a bright smile planted on her face.

Shadow didn't know whether to leave the petite female talking to herself or just continue playing her game. The dark hedgehog never thought he would see Amy again, and so soon after their previous encounter. Didn't the girl get his message? He didn't want her near him! She was as stubborn as... _'Damn it!'_

Even though the ebony hedgehog hated to admit it, she made him wonder-- where did Amy get all the courage to face the cold hedgehog?

What Shadow didn't know was that the rose girl was pulling out all the courage she had to face him. Sure, she was stubborn, but she wasn't stupid! The girl clearly knew that he didn't want her close to him, but she couldn't help it, her heart guided her every move. The pink female only meant good! She wasn't scared of the big and bad male hedgehog! She was scared that... he wouldn't talk to her again. Seeing that he actually said something to her made her heart happy.

"Well, _Miss Rose_," Shadow frowned, "I'll recommend you stop stalking me."

"I-" Amy's cheeks turned pink, "I'm not stalking you!"

The streaked hedgehog stared at her, still pondering upon his thoughts of leaving her, and she stared at him, fuming on the outside but happy inside. A few seconds passed before the pink female started chuckling, she closed her eyes and small tears formed.

"Why are you crying?" Shadow said lifting one of his hands in the air motioning to stop her flowing tears but stopped when he realized what he was doing.

"It's just that," the female sobbed silently. "I... I was scared that... you wouldn't talk to me again..."

The ebony hedgehog was taken aback by her sudden words, _'She was scared that I... but why?'_

"This may sound silly, but..." the pink hedgehog opened her eyes and locked them on the ruby orbs before her, "I didn't want to loose you."

Shadow was speechless, he barely knew the girl before him, yet she grew attached to him in such a short time. His body was motionless, but he had the sudden feeling of hugging her, and telling her not to worry. Why did she have that power over him? The power to make him think beyond reason, and act with something more than intuition.

Amy rubbed her eyes with her tiny hands, erasing all trails of the salty rivers, and wore the brightest smile on her face. Just like that, like a cloud passing by the sun, her face lit up with and her eyes revealed her never ending passion.

The petite girl turned around and looked at the sky, "There's no need to be gloomy in such a wonderful day, huh?"

"Hn."

"And not in front this wonderful audience!" Amy said while staring at the roses that surrounded both of them.

It was then when Shadow realized that he was at the rose garden, the place where they had met for the first time. He picked up a white rose and stared at it deeply, _'This was how it all started.'_

What led to the faithful day of their meeting? Could there be something else at work, something that no human or living creature could understand? And if there was such a thing, what would it be called...? Was it faith...? Or perhaps... destiny?

Whatever it was, it could never, and shall never be understood by any mortal or immortal alike, for that would bring chaos to the order or that which is life.

Faith, destiny, and life... there shall always be more than what the living being can understand.

"Don't waste your tears on a fool who doesn't know what he has," the ebony hedgehog handed the rose to her.

Her emerald orbs stared deeply at the perfect white rose on her hands. She rose her gaze to Shadow, but he was gone.

"Is there something else to it?" the rose hedgehog whispered to the wind.

The desire to know more and discover the truths of life, time, hell, heaven, and earth...

Shall forever remain...

Forbidden...

* * *

And thus, time passed for everyone; Shadow searched for clues of his enemy's location and Espio studied all the clues they had at hand. Cheerful Amy Rose remained living with her friend Rouge, who seemed to have developed a relationship with the rebellious echidna, Knuckles. Sonic and Amy remained friends, they had come to the conclusion that life goes on, and so do the people living it. Her heart was healing slowly; after all, time heals all wounds.

The relationship between the rose girl, and the ebony hedgehog grew over time. Amy decided to help him with anything she could, and they would meet at the place where the buds bloomed and the sun never left the sky. Her influence on the cold hedgehog was slowly melting his heart, but he still kept his distance from her-- Shadow knew the consequences a relationship with anybody would bring.

Indeed...

Three months flew by, and the time of judgment that will throw their lives away was coming closer than they thought.

* * *

Wind blew hard and threw sand everywhere it went. A shadow ran through the stormy weather that was forming, the thunder and lightning didn't affect its speed. It would leave footprints on the sand that was beginning to get went by the falling rain from the sky.

It was heading towards the small town, and the storm was right behind it.

oOo

"Shadow!" Espio called out.

"Hn?" the ebony hedgehog walked down the stairs.

"I'm going out," the chameleon took a trench coat from the coat hanger.

"With this weather?"

"Yes," the purple male opened the door, "I have to greet someone."

"She's finally here?"

"Yes," and with that final answer Espio walked out the door.

The wind blew hard against the windows, making them silently bang against the wooden window frame. The thunder grew louder by the minute, and the lone house remained in complete darkness.

Shadow disliked that type of weather, it brought back bad memories. He walked to the living room and sat on one of the wine-colored couches that decorated the room; the ebony hedgehog took a wine bottle and a cup from the coffee table and proceeded on pouring some wine inside the cup.

The rain began to fall harder from the sky making loud noises when the small drops hit any object. The dark hedgehog remained seated, thinking about the past events in his life and those that were to come. A gust of wind blew outside the elegant mansion, and somehow all the candles inside the residence blew out.

Shadow stood up from his seat, feeling a new presence in the house. He checked every room of the mansion, but he found no one. Once he made it back to the living room a person was seated on one of the couches with a cup of wine on its hands.

"We meet again, Shadow."

The ebony hedgehog snarled in response.

"Let's not get aggressive," the silhouette stood up and walked to the window; the light entering from the lighting outside revealed it to be young man with green eyes. His cheeks had red markings that looked like claw marks from a wild beast, but they were no scars. His hair was short and wild, forming spikes on top, and it was of a fiery red color.

"I will kill you!" Shadow hissed and ran towards the newcomer, his hand formed a fist.

oOo

Espio walked through the city in a hurry, the sky became darker and the rain didn't stop for falling. His trench coat was soaking wet, but he kept walking towards the main gate of the town.

_'Who in their right mind would arrive when there's a storm!' _the chameleon shouted in his head.

It was almost impossible to see with all the rain that fell and the purple male accidentally hit someone. The person dropped to the ground and he extended a hand to assist it, "Sorry."

"Espio...!" the person on the ground called out.

"Yamaira...?" the chameleon responded recognizing the voice.

"Great! I found you!" the female said taking Espio's hand. She pulled her hood off, revealing her black eyes; Yamaira was a dark purple hedgehog with quills that passed her shoulders, the color of the her quills faded to black at the end. She was wearing a black robe on top of her clothes.

"I can say the same here."

"Espio, where's Shadow?" the female hedgehog said with urgency.

"He's back at the mansion." the chameleon replied.

"Damn it!"

"What's wrong?"

"_Nicholai's_ here...!" Yamaira started to look around, "Where's the mansion!"

"What is he doing here!"

"There's no time to explain!" the female glared at Espio. "We have to find Shadow!"

"Come this way." Espio started running towards the mansion.

oOo

Nicholai chuckled, "That temper of yours always got you in trouble, Shadow."

The newcomer rose his hand and stopped Shadow from coming any closer, "Damn you!"

"Now, Shadow, this wouldn't have happened if you listened to me once in a while."

"I will never do your bidding again!" Shadow snarled. "I prefer to die first!"

"Aww, that's no fun," Nicholai started to close his hand slowly, causing Shadow to cry out in pain.

oOo

"He found out that you were planning something against him again!" Yamaira said as she ran with her male companion.

"Why didn't you tell us that sooner!" Espio questioned the female.

"I just found out a week ago!" Yamaira replied angrily. "And he's grown more powerful than ever after he sent everyone that mission three months ago..."

oOo

"You're turning against me for the second time," Nicholai grinned. "Didn't you learn anything from last time?"

"I- I will never listen to you again...!" the ebony hedgehog tried to stand the pain he felt. "I will kill you!"

"Tsk, tsk, you're as stubborn and arrogant as ever," the red head dropped his hand, causing Shadow to drop to the floor.

"You will die here!" the dark hedgehog stood up with all the strength he had left.

"On the contrary," Nicholai chuckled. "Someone else is going to die here, and it's not you or me."

"Leave everyone else out of this!" the male hedgehog snapped.

"I sent you a mission 3 months ago," the red head walked towards Shadow, took him by the neck, and rose him in the air. "And it's about time you do it."

"Agh!" his ruby orbs shot open and he glared at the man before him.

"I told you, if you don't do it," the man chuckled again. "I would take matters into my own hands...!" his grip grew stronger against Shadow's neck, and his eyes stared at his deeply, "You will do my bidding! Weather you like it or not!"

Time stopped for Shadow, and he found himself lost in complete darkness.

_'You will do my bidding!'_

His head started spinning and his whole body ached. The ebony hedgehog dropped to his knees with his hands on his head; the pain he felt throughout his body was like a thousand daggers cutting through his skin. His eyes widen, the pain increased every second. One of his hands dropped to the floor, and then he fell to the cold floor. His sight was dark, and he couldn't tell anything apart.

"Shadow!" a voice called out from the darkness. "Don't give up!"

"Ma- Maria..." Shadow responded with the small amount of strength he had left.

"Please Shadow! Don't give up!" The female voice urged.

"There's nothing... I can do..."

"Shadow, fight it!" Maria's figure appeared before him and she held her hand out for the hedgehog to reach. "Take my hand!"

"I don't have any strength left..."

"I know you can do it!" the female's eyes were flooded with tears, "Do it for me! Shadow... I beg you, don't give up!"

Shadow reached out for her hand; his finger tips touched it, "I'm sorry... I failed you, again..." His hand dropped to the floor, "Forgive me."

The dark hedgehog closed his eyes slowly; the last thing he saw was the crying face of Maria.

* * *

_My soul spoke unto me and counseled me_

_to quench my thirst with that wine_

_which may not be poured into_

_cups,_

_Nor lifted by hands, nor touched by lips._

_Unto that day my thirst was like a dim_

_spark laid in ashes_

_To be put out by a draught from any_

_spring;_

_But now my strong yearning has become my cup,_

_Love has become my wine, and loneliness_

_my joy_

_----_

_My soul counseled me and charged me to_

_seek that which is unseen;_

_And my soul revealed unto me that the_

_thing we grasp is the thing we desire._

_In other days I was content with warmth_

_in winter, and with the cooling zephyr_

_in the summer season;_

_But now my fingers are come as mist,_

_Letting fall all that they have held, to_

_mingle with the unseen that I now desire_

_-Kahlil Gibran_

* * *

A/N: End of chapter 5! I hope you consider this a cliff hanger, I know I do. My feelings towards this chapter are... alright. I had problems with the 'passing time' paragraphs, but I think it worked out at the end, at least I hope everyone understands it. Also, I received a lot of help from my friend, LadyLuck22, when I got stuck early in this chapter. Thanks so much! Oh, and Yamaira is her character, and not mine. Nicholai is evil I tell you! EVIL!

Chapter 6: Lost Light

He walked the path of darkness, hoping light would rescue him someday; but now is too late and everything he once loved would be lost in the ashes of his destructive anger. Run, run pure angel because no one will be saved from the fires of hell.

Wow... 48 reviews, I'm so happy! Thank you so much guys, this means a lot to me!

Thanks to: All my lovable readers and reviewers!

_Until Next Time!_


	6. Lost Light

Disclaimer: I'm back! But the Sonic characters are still not mine... they're owned by Sega/Sonic Team. Yamaira is owned by LadyLuck22.

* * *

The darkened sky bore thunder and lightening; small drops of water fell from the heavens. The wind fought hard against the earth, raising dirt and mud against their will. The villagers closed their windows and hid inside their houses in fear of the forces of nature. All were safe inside their houses except for a petite hedgehog that ran through the boggy streets. She held an umbrella tightly against her body, protecting it from the fierce wind. Amy huffed and puffed as she headed east towards the elegant mansion owned by Shadow.

Many of the people wondered what the cause for her reckless actions were, yet, even if they knew the answer they wouldn't understand. It wasn't a matter of stability or intelligence-- but that of the heart. No one would understand the feeling that the small girl felt earlier that day as she sat near her bed contemplating the twilight sky. A feeling that filled her heart with fear and anxiety, love and discord. Something that you can't simply write on paper or paint with charcoal. An unidentified feeling that makes your heart burn and your head ache; it makes you loose control of your body and mind.

Amy knew something horrible was about to happen, and there was nothing anyone could do about it. And even though she knew that destiny was harsh and cruel, she wanted to change it with all her power and might. So she ran further and further, hoping that she could get there in time.

* * *

The atmosphere of the room was manipulated by the substantial silence. Two figures were illuminated by the candle lights, one stood tall and strong, while the other remained on the floor, motionless.

Nicholai let a small sigh escape his lips, "If only you understood my reasons for doing this." He walked towards the black hedgehog and kneeled down, "You once knew my pain, but now... you've changed, Shadow."

Shadow's hand began to move and the red head grinned.

"Oh, you're awake."

The dark hedgehog stood up without any hesitation, his hands formed fists and then he opened his eyes slowly, showing nothing but empty pools of wine.

"Do you want her back?"

"..."

"Oh yes, how stupid of me, you don't have a say in the matter," Nicholai chuckled quietly. "Now, then, shall we get down to business?"

"..."

A malevolent smile spread across the red head's face, "Spare NO ONE... that includes that _annoying_ partner of yours!" He began to walk away but stopped abruptly, "Oh! And that pest too... you know... that... girl. Now, away you go, we have no time to loose."

Shadow nodded and waited for his master to be gone. He formed fire balls in his hands and shot them to his sides, setting the mansion on fire.

* * *

"Three months ago, before he sent us to do the mission," Yamaira said as she ran towards the mansion with the chameleon, "he found a library with all sorts of books. In one of them he found a way to bring _her_ back to life."

"That damn obsession of his is going to get Shadow killed!" Espio said with a raging voice.

"That's not all," the female hedgehog turned to see her companion, "he also found a way to make himself practically invincible."

The purple male's eyes widen in terror, "That's impossible!"

"It was possible for him... We tried to stop him," the purple female looked at the ground, "but he stopped us with that damn curse of his. Afterwards he took the book and burned the library so we couldn't go look for any ways to get rid of him."

"That bastard!" the chameleon snarled.

"I'm afraid we don't have any hope left..." the young female raised her head."He said that after he found a vessel for her, he was going to destroy this world and make a living hell out of it. No one will be spared in his reign."

"First it was his sick obsession with that girl," Espio narrowed his eyes, "and now he wants to take over the world? He's seriously twisted."

"But there's nothing we can do!" Yamaira increased her speed, "We're not powerful enough, and even if we were... we can't harm him."

"We shouldn't give up without a fight!"

The purple hedgehog turned to see her companion in surprise. Espio was the kind of guy who wouldn't give up easily. He was right; there was no sense on giving up if you had a chance of putting up a fight, "Yes, you're right."

The storm raged in the sky and the water fell with no end. The two companions continued to run in hope to reach the mansion in time. As they approached they heard an explosion coming from the east; the mansion was on fire and was nearly destroyed. They stopped and their eyes widen in terror as they saw a shadow coming out of it. Its ruby eyes glowed with the night; a thirst for blood was evident on its glare.

"We're too late!" Yamaira exclaimed.

* * *

The pink hedgehog's heart ached and the pain didn't seem to leave her body. There was something wrong with Shadow and she knew it! But why him...? Hadn't he suffered enough in the past?! She knew almost nothing about him, but it was clear to her that life wasn't fair to him.

Compared to him, everyone had the best life in the world; compared to him, everyone had what they wanted. Yet, the people who seem to have everything are still greedy, and he never asked for anything but his friend's life back in exchange of his own.

Why was life so unfair to those in need of love and care? It wasn't fair! It... wasn't fair!

Amy continued to run through the muddy streets. She tried to fight against the fierce wind as she tried to maintain her balance. Her body was becoming weaker and weaker as every second passed. Her eyes barely stayed open and her knees could hardly maintain her weight.

After countless minutes of running the rose hedgehog stopped as she saw Shadow's mansion in fire. Her hands released the umbrella she was holding and the wind took it with it. Her eyes widen and tears started to flow freely. She brought her hands to her mouth and let out a sharp cry. Her knees dropped to the ground and she shook in fright by the sight before her.

Her mind went blank as she cried with the rain. The small girl was lost in the thought that she didn't get there in time; that she might have lost him. It was because she wasn't there for him in time that he was probably... dead.

After a few minutes a shadow came out of the fire; it was an ebony hedgehog with ruby-colored eyes. Amy rose her head up, and spotted the dark hedgehog. She locked her eyes with him and a small whimper escaped the small girl.

"We're too late!" a purple female hedgehog exclaimed.

The rose girl turned to see the newcomers, no words escaped her lips. She cried softly and turned to see the ground.

Espio and Yamaira turned to see her. The purple female wasn't aware of whom this pink girl was, but she knew that it was too dangerous for her to be here.

"Amy," the purple chameleon spoke, "what are you doing here?"

The pink hedgehog didn't answer and continued looking at the ground.

"What is that girl thinking?!" Yamaira glared at the young hedgehog on the floor, "Are you stupid or something?!"

No answer came from the young girl; she was in some sort of trance.

Shadow walked out of the fire completely unharmed. His ruby eyes were full of anger and emptiness.

"Shadow...?" the purple hedgehog called out, but there was no answer from him.

"There's no time!" Espio turned to see the pink female, "We have to take her out of here! He's no longer in control; Nicholai must've been here before us!"

"Alright!" Yamaira turned to see the pink girl and kneeled down to see her, "I'm going to take you to a safe place, please come with me."

"You can't run from me..." Nicholai appeared from the shadows of the night.

"You bastard!" the purple chameleon snarled.

The red head chuckled, "There's no doubt about it, you're Shadow's companion alright."

"Yamaira," Espio turned to see the purple female, "get out of here, now!"

The purple hedgehog nodded and took the pink girl in her arms.

"They're not going anywhere!" Nicholai raised his right hand.

The purple female stopped in her tracks, unable to move, "Let me go!"

The chameleon ran towards Nicholai and tried to kick him but he was stopped in mid-air as the red head raised his left hand, "As long as I'm here, you have no control at all."

"You may have control over them!" a male voice shouted, "But you have no control over me!"

"Wha-" Nicholai turned to see a blue blur knock him down.

"Sonic...?" Espio said as he regained control of his body.

"The one and only!" the blue hedgehog grinned.

"You insolent fool!" the red head exclaimed as he rose from the ground.

"You-" the blue male turned to see Yamaira.

"The name's Yamaira," the purple female responded.

"Yamaira," Sonic turned to see Nicholai, "take Amy as far away from here as you can. Espio and I will take care of things here!"

"Alright," the purple hedgehog turned to see Espio, "be careful."

Sonic and the purple male turned to see the guy before them.

Nicholai had a big grin on his face, "You actually think you have a chance against me? Ridiculous!"

"I'm going to erase that grin off your face!" Espio yelled out.

"I don't have time for this," Nicholai turned to see Shadow; the black hedgehog stood in front of Sonic and Espio. "I would love to stay with you guys and chat," He turned around, "but I have more important things to do. Shadow, take care of these fools."

The dark hedgehog ran towards the two males with two golden spheres on his hands. The red head grinned in satisfaction and submerged in the floor, hiding in the shadows of the night. He needed not to worry about Shadow's safety or control.

The purple chameleon glared at his companion and dodged his Chaos Spear attack, "Shadow! Snap out of it, remember why we're doing this!"

No answer came from the dark male and he continued attacking. His eyes were dark, his expression was solemn, and his movements were uncontrollable.

"What's wrong with him?!" Sonic jumped out of Shadow's way, running to the opposite side and trying to think of a plan.

"It's some-" Espio found himself thrown in the floor by a powerful force. The ebony hedgehog had punched his partner and stood in front of him.

"Espio!" the blue hedgehog ran to the aid of the purple chameleon. Shadow raised Espio in the air and kicked him, sending him flying against a wall before Sonic reached them.

"Ugh..." the chameleon slid down the wall and landed with his face against the cold ground.

"He was your friend, how dare you do that to him?!"

No words came out of the ebony hedgehog; he stood still in his place. He turned to see the blue male that was now glaring at him.

Sonic popped his knuckles, "It's time to settle our little score."

Shadow grinned.

* * *

Yamaira ran back to the center of the town with a pink female in her arms. She had no idea what her relationship was with Shadow, but she thought that Amy must've been hurt to see his condition. _'Who wouldn't?'_ the purple female stated in her head.

The purple hedgehog stopped in her tracks as she spotted an isolated house and walked in for shelter. She placed the young girl in her arms on a box close to the back of the shack. The rose girl was still in shock, her eyes were locked on the floor and she was shivering uncontrollably. She wasn't trembling because of the cold, but the fear in her heart and mind.

"It's a shame," Yamaira said as she turned around.

Amy turned to see her in confusion.

The purple female's cloak was dripping with water, and it felt heavy. She took it off and began twisting it, releasing the water inside it. She was now wearing a top and a pair of bell bottom pants; this was extremely unusual for Amy, she had never seen that type of clothes before.

The purple hedgehog felt the rose hedgehog's eyes on her and turned around, "You like it? I made it myself."

The rose girl turned around and locked her eyes on the floor again.

"So much for small talk," Yamaira snorted. However, she knew that it wasn't the young girl's fault. Amy was still shaken up because of the terrible event that was going on. The purple female narrowed her eyes; perhaps it was a good idea to tell her the story behind Shadow and Nicholai.

The pink hedgehog placed her feet on top of the wooden box and wrapped her arms around them, hugging her knees for comfort. She looked miserable, and she knew it, but she couldn't help it. She was scared... What was going to happen next? What was she going to do? Why was all of this happening...?

The purple hedgehog allowed a sigh to escape her lips and walked in front of the young girl, "Let me tell you a story."

* * *

A half-moon stood in the sky, hidden behind the rain clouds that were begging to clear up. Two male hedgehogs stood still under the moonlight. The small raindrops fell from the sky; the thunder and lighting were long gone.

The two hedgehogs glared at each other in determination.

A small cloud passed through the sky and covered the moon. Both hedgehogs took their fighting stances and concentrated on each other. The cloud continued to pass through until the moonlight landed on them again. At that moment both males ran towards each other.

Both tried to punch each other but dodged in time and jumped back. Their eyes were locked and they tried to predict each other's moves. They ran towards each other again; Shadow tried to kick the blue hedgehog, but he stopped him with his arm. Sonic took his leg into his hands and began to spin around and threw the black hedgehog in the air. The ebony hedgehog did a back flip and landed on the floor safely.

The blue male frowned and ran towards the black hedgehog. He threw a punch at Shadow but his foe stopped it with a kick; he tried a kick and the ebony hedgehog stopped it with his arm. Finally, the black hedgehog tried punching the blue hedgehog but he dodged and jumped back. None were willing to take critical hits.

The ebony male formed a golden sphere on his hand and threw it in the air. Golden spears formed in the air and began shooting down at the blue hedgehog. Sonic ran back and forth, trying to dodge the golden lights. Shadow formed more spears in the air and threw them at a high speed. The blue hedgehog ran fast enough to dodge most but one golden light landed on his shoulder, making a dark liquid splash out of his wound.

Sonic placed one of his hands on his shoulder and turned to see blood drip to the floor. The ebony hedgehog continued to throw spears and the blue hedgehog ran towards him, kicking him in his ribs. The dark hedgehog hit a wall and glared at the blue male.

The spears fell from the air and landed on the floor. The electric energy obtained a physical form and dug into the ground as it fell. Shadow jumped off the crashed wall and took two of the spears in his hands.

The blue hedgehog looked around and then a golden spear landed in front of him. Without a second thought, he took it into his hands and waved it in the wind, "Now this is what I'm talking about."

The streaked hedgehog ran towards his enemy, slashing the golden weapon. Sonic reacted in time to stop the ebony hedgehog's attack with his sword. Shadow slashed his second sword and the blue male jumped back.

The blue hedgehog had forgotten about his enemy's second sword, _'Damn it, this is going to make it difficult. I have to make him drop his second sword.'_

The dark hedgehog glared at him and ran quickly towards him. He slashed his first sword but the blue male stopped it; then his second but it was stopped by the same blade his enemy had again.

Sonic pushed the two blades as hard as he could, trying to make Shadow back off. Their strengths were even, but the ebony hedgehog lost his balance and stumbled back. The blue hedgehog took advantage of this and hit the first blade off his foe's hands.

The streaked hedgehog was taken aback by the attack but regained his balance. The blue male ran towards him, slashing his sword as fast as he could; but to his disgrace his enemy was quick enough to counter every slash.

Sonic was at the advantage while he continued to make the dark hedgehog back off. Finally the blue hedgehog made a final slash and his foe's second sword flew in the air and landed away from them. The blue male moved his sword close to the dark hedgehog's throat, it was over...

"Wait! Don't kill him!" a female voice cried out.

"Amy...?" the blue hedgehog turned around and lowered his sword. Shadow took his moment to kick him out of the way; the blue male landed on the cold ground.

"Sonic!" the rose hedgehog cried in fear.

The ebony hedgehog ran to his sword and took it into his hands. Sonic turned to see his enemy and stood up, he couldn't see him. After a few seconds the black hedgehog appeared in the sky and the blue male was ready to counter.

"Stop!" Amy ran towards them, she didn't want this... She had to stop them, even if the cost was grave.

* * *

A/N: Chapter 6 done! Sorry I took so long to update, I'll try to update monthy if I can. Writing a fighting scene is harder than I thought... I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter; tell me what you thought about it, I'll appreciated if you do. By the way, I updated the last chapters, there's new stuff in the first three chapters. And sadly, I changed the whole vampire thing; Shadow is no longer a vampire. Why you ask? Because it didn't fit the plot anymore, and I never used that topic in the story, therefore, it was useless. Sorry to those who may be disappointed.

Chapter 7: Once Upon a Time

Nicholai was not always evil, he was once a young boy in love. But when his heart was shattered he gave in to the darkness of the heart. And it was then when he discovered what being alone was all about. The story behind our dark villain is uncovered!

Yay, 65 reviews! I love you guys.

Thanks to: All my lovable readers and reviewers!

_Until Next Time!_


	7. Once Upon a Time

_Put down everything that comes into your head and then you're a writer. But an author is one who can judge his own stuff's worth, without pity, and destroy most of it. _

_- Colette _

Disclaimer: And with this quote I open up another chapter; read the author note for more info after the chapter. Oh, you know the disclaimer.

* * *

The moon refused to hide behind the gray clouds that filled the night's sky. The wind slowly took the gray puff away, leaving the moon alone in all its glory. With overwhelming pride, the white-silver object's glow surpassed that of the stars. It shone bright and illuminated everything on its path.

Under the stellar blanket stood a man with fiery red hair. His forest green eyes reflected the moon; the reflection in his eyes was dark and mysterious, much like himself. His lips curved nicely to the sides, forming a simple smile that could make anyone's heart melt. His porcelain skin absorbed the moon's radiance and it brought out a milky colored glow that covered his entire being.

His surroundings consisted of a field full of white flowers; among them were bell shaped flowers named arum lilies, as well as white roses, and baby's breath. The field was immense, and its beauty was incomparable.

The flowers moved gently with the breeze; they prepared their petals to give out their best dance. Their stage was the nourishing ground and their stage lights were the beams of the moon. The audience watched from the heavens; the stars smiled ready to see the show.

The wind began to blow; its force was strong but gentle, giving mercy to the performers. The waves of wind traveled through the field; the blossoms danced under the moon. They twirled and moved from side to side; their petals moved shyly through the air, while their roots gave out their best graceful dance. The stars applauded at the sight of the astonishing performance. They shone brighter, giving more light to enhance the beauty of the dancers.

Nicholai stretched his arms to his sides, welcoming the wind inside his soul. He inhaled the sweet aroma of the flowers around him; the sweet smell traveled through his being. He felt like the night awakened his body and liberated him from his sins. The flowerbed was the bosom that forgave his errors and embraced him, knowing the pain he once went through.

The young man closed his eyes and allowed his body to fall on top of the flowerbed. The breeze tickled his cheeks and played with his hair. The flowers embraced his body and held him tight, never letting go.

Nicholai re-opened his eyes and locked them on the moon. She looked beautiful, with a smile full and bright. Her body was the light of the night, and her eyes were the soul and heart of the darkness. It was ironic how light was the heart of darkness. An opposing force with a whole different meaning; an enemy.

'_Good and evil, evil and good-- what was the point of it all? No one has the right to determine what was bad and what was good_,' thought the young man deep in his head, with his gaze on the moon.

_"There's good in all bad, as there is bad in all that's good," _Nicholai whispered.

* * *

The sun smiled upon a bright town and the birds flew around the flowers and trees; they whistled in joy and looked around with their tiny black eyes. Two small white birds flew to the magnolias and began flying around each other, fluttering their little wings, dancing. They stopped on a branch and grew closer and united in song.

Under the flowering tree stood a young boy with red hair that shone with sun; his deep green eyes were full of youth and joy. Even though it was summer and the day was hot beyond belief, he wore a tuxedo. Trying to get some circulation in, he pulled his collar and looked up at the sky.

"Nicholai!" shouted a bubbly voice.

The boy looked around and spotted a little girl in a bright blue dress running towards him, "Maria!"

The blond ran faster until she reached Nicholai; her chest was jumping from all the running and she was panting, "H-hey! Sorry I'm late; my grandfather was showing me his latest experiment."

"It's alright, I got here late myself," responded the young boy in a kind calm voice. "My father took me to a banquet this morning and we barely got back," he looked down at his tux.

"Oh?" she glanced at her friend, "Is that why you're wearing a tux?"

"Yeah."

"It looks good on you!" exclaimed Maria.

Nicholai's cheeks grew hot and he stammered, "T-Thanks."

The girl giggled and then took his hand, "Let's go, I got to tell you about my grandfather's new plans!"

* * *

The course of time flowed slowly and painfully that night; the wind howled and the heavens cried. Soft whispers were heard in the wind, words of sorrow and agony; they were carried like music through the night, a lento symphony of words unknown.

The flames of destruction burned vividly and wildly at the far east of town. A destroyed mansion lay at the feet of a dark hedgehog with bright ruby eyes. The chaos manifested around him; a puppet of fate, a god of destruction.

The scenes at the ruins of the manor played frame by frame; the tears of the young rose girl, the fear Shadow inflected on her heart. The appearance of his master, the one he bowed his life to; the anger in his heart that made him oppose his allies. The fight that shook the earth, and finally... a cry in the night. The cry of an innocent girl with an uncertain destiny; the key to salvation.

"Wait! Don't kill him!" a female voice cried out.

"Amy...?" the blue hedgehog turned around and lowered his sword. Shadow took this moment to kick him out of the way; the blue male landed on the cold ground.

"Sonic!" the rose hedgehog cried in fear.

The ebony hedgehog ran to his sword and took it into his hands. Sonic turned to see his enemy and stood up, he couldn't see him. After a few seconds the black hedgehog appeared in the sky and the blue male was ready to counter.

Amy ran towards them, she didn't want this... _'Stop this madness!' _cried her head, _'Please... Shadow!'_

Sonic saw the petite hedgehog run to the battle field and felt her hands on his side as she pushed him out of the way. Tears filled her eyes and she fell to the floor, just like the blue hedgehog. In the sky the dark hedgehog came down at full speed unable to stop the attack, and as he landed, the smell of blood filled the night's air.

The blue hedgehog's eyes widen in terror at the sight of blood; his emerald eyes locked on the figure on the floor. "No..." he whispered.

On the floor laid the body of a young girl covered in a dark liquid, tears still streaming down her face.

* * *

White flowers bloomed beneath an enormous maple tree; the sun still radiated upon the plants. The roses emitted a beautiful glow and the baby breath moved gently with the wind. The white flower field smiled upon two young kids sitting under the big maple.

"He's says that it's going to revolutionize the world as we know it!" exclaimed Maria in a cheery tone.

"It does sound pretty amazing," responded the young boy, "but I'm kind of skeptical about it."

"Why?" her beautiful ocean eyes locked on the boy.

"I- B-because... think about it," Nicholai raised a finger, "reason number one, people are not going to accept such a _thing_ so easily."

"It's not a thing, it's a hedgehog!" said Maria defensively, "Besides, I think he's kind of cute."

"But that's only your opinion; there are many people out there that might oppose this."

"They'll just have to see how amazing he is!"

"That's part of reason number two:" continued the boy, raising a second finger, "people fear what they do not understand."

The girl frowned, "And what is there not to understand?"

"He's a hedgehog with super abilities!"

"Well," she pouted, "they'll have to understand."

Nicholai giggled at the sight of her childish expression, "I guess they will have to with you on the loose!"

"Hey!" said Maria as she jumped on the boy.

Both children wrestled under the maple tree and the sun began to fall. The sweet twilight showed the beautiful new purples coming in contact with the warm oranges. The wind of the night began to howl silently and the flowers closed their eyes.

Nicholai rolled down the flowers and burst in laughter as Maria began to tickle him, "O-ka-ay! Hahaha! You-you win! You win!"

"That's right!" the blond girl released the boy from her clutches and sat on his stomach, "Let's check the score: Maria-154 and Nicholai: ZERO."

"Have I really lost every single one?" a brown grew on the red-head's face.

"Yep!" responded Maria, "Even the monkey bar race."

"Wow, I must be really bad!" added Nicholai awaiting his friend's response.

Maria smiled at him, "Nope, I'm just too good."

"Oh yeah?" the young boy bore a malicious grin.

"Yeah!"

"We'll see about that!" said the boy wrapping his arms around his friend and tickling her.

* * *

_'Innocence separates the man from the boy,' _Nicholai continued thinking, his green orbs still locked on the moon.

The white flowers still danced around the man, slowly moving their petals with the wind; some were carried away by the gentle wind. The atmosphere began to grow warm and fiery.

So many moments of happiness were carried in those years; the years of innocence and youth. The fantasy of a child's world is only temporary as time passes and makes the boy a man. The inhuman emotions once felt transform into a more complex thinking; the fairy tales are replaced by logic. Indeed, innocence separates the man from the boy.

"He's... strange looking."

"Don't say that!" said Maria embracing a dark hedgehog on her arms.

The fur ball on the girl's arms moved closer to her, hiding his face on her chest. Its black fur shone with the sun, it gave him a glistering coat.

"So this is it?" Nicholai inquired, his eyes glued to the _'thing.'_

"Yes!" replied the blond girl happily.

"It doesn't look all that amazing..."

The creature turned around and Nicholai glared at it; the hedgehog pressed harder, clutching Maria's clothes.

"Stop that!" yelled the girl at her friend.

"Stop what?" answered the boy in an indifferent tone.

"Don't look at him like that!" she petted the dark hedgehog's head.

Nicholai snorted, "Then how am I supposed to look at it? It's not _normal_..."

"And neither is your head!" she busted out.

He began to laugh before talking again, "Look, I just don't like it."

"I brought _him_ here so you could meet _him_," she glared at her friend, "and _his_ name is _Shadow_, not _it_."

"I don't want to start a fight over this."

"You were the one that--!"

"Fine, I know it was my fault," he let out a sigh, "Can you drop it now?"

Maria glared at him, why was he acting like that? Normally he would be awfully kind to everyone... and yet, he was being so mean to the creature on her arms. Shadow continued hiding his face; she could feel him slightly shaking in terror, "Just stop glaring at him, _please_."

The boy raised his hands on the air, as if he had been caught in the scene of the crime, "Will do."

"Thank you."

Nicholai turned around and began to pace, "I just came here to ask you to come to a banquet with me tomorrow. My father is taking me to take another one of his 'business lessons,' and I wouldn't stand to be at one of those things by myself. So will-- you?"

The young boy turned back around and spotted Maria playing with the hedgehog. She placed her finger on his nose and he tried to catch it, but then she would quickly move it away. They both giggled and then turned around to face Nicholai, "Oh, I'm sorry, can you repeat that?"

The red-head tried not to glare at the hedgehog, "Never mind."

"I'm sure your father would prefer to have you alone," she continued to play with the dark creature, "I'm just going to distract you."

"It'll be nice to have some company."

"I'm sorry, Nicholai, but now that my grandfather is conducting research, he's really busy and he wants me to take care of Shadow, " the hedgehog took her finger into his hands and she smiled, "If I go, he has to go and I don't think he's ready to face other humans or that your father would like him around."

"Alright," he looked at the floor and began to walk away, "I have to get home."

There was no reply, or at least... he didn't hear anything coming from his friend. She was too busy to pay any attention to anything he said, she was too busy taking care of the weird _thing_. For the first time in his life, he was angry for no absolutely no reason, or at least, he didn't know the reason.

The young boy turned around and took, what he was soon to learn, his last glance of Maria close to him. Her golden hair shone with the twilight sun, her ocean eyes were deep and caring, her smile was beautiful, and in her arms was a dark hedgehog.

For the following years, Nicholai was too busy to get out of his mansion; being the son of one of the richest men in the country gave him little freedom as he continued to grow. All eyes were on him and his business skills, there were so many high expectations, and just a small amount of freedom.

The red-head watched everyone else's lives go on, time never stopping for them. The seasons changed, people changed... and he grew older, hidden from everyone. And what had happened to his friend? Maria continued spending most of her time with the dark creature; he would see them pass walk his mansion, just outside the gates, holding hands.

Anger burned inside of him, jealousy, and sadness; had she really forgotten about him? He hadn't received any visits from her, not even letters. The only other time he saw her was in his memory and in his dreams. He had lost her, for what seemed... forever.

* * *

Ruby orbs came back to life and the dark hedgehog looked at his bloody hands; it had happened again... His hands burned and the blood continued to leak from its sides, touching the muddy floor. He released the sword and backed away from the rose girl. With every step he took back, he was falling into an endless abyss.

He was falling... and nobody was there to catch him.

* * *

"What have you done?!" screamed a young man.

A dark hedgehog froze on his spot, his hands covered in blood and the body of a young girl lay before him. His ruby orbs were flooded in tears that fell to his hands, washing away the sinful liquid off his hands. His body began to shake uncontrollably as he heard the young red-head scream on top of his lungs.

"Y-you," cried Nicholai, "you monster!" Long sobs restrained his words, but he continued in the loudest voice possible, "You k-killed her! You-"

"I didn't do it..." interrupted the small hedgehog in a shaky voice, "I couldn't have..."

Nicholai ran to the girl and held her gingerly on his arms, afraid of making any more damage; he took her further away from the hedgehog, "Look at your hands! That's her blood! You killed her, you monster!"

"I didn't do it... I didn't do it...! I couldn't have! I-I-" Shadow looked at his hands and dropped to his knees. Had he really killed the girl...? Had he really killed _Maria_? No! He couldn't have! But the blood... the blood was on _his_ hands. _'I don't remember it! I didn't do it... I couldn't have! What happened?! What happened?!' _screamed his head. There was no memory of what he had done, he had no prove of his innocence... _he_ had killed her...

"I didn't do it!" he repeated those words out loud, over and over again. The small hedgehog covered his ears and pressed his hands on his head; blood stuck to his fur, _her_ blood. Salty rivers flowed down his face, he bit his lower lip, _'I couldn't have...'_

Without any other words, the young man pulled out a book and began to speak in a language that the ebony hedgehog did not understand. He tried to make his words as clear as possible behind his tears as he cast some spells on the corpse. For a few minutes it shone and small particles came out of the light, but her body did not show any signs of life. At the sight, he continued casting the spells over and over again; hoping one of them would work.

The small hedgehog watched from afar, his hands clutched to his sides. He watched the red-head trying to resuscitate the blond girl, and hoping that his presence would help the spells, he approached the body. Slowly, he crawled to his friend, _'Please Maria... please... I'm sorry... I'm really sorry...!'_

"Get away from her!" shouted Nicholai raising his hand in the air ready to strike the hedgehog if he got any closer. Shadow stopped in his tracks and continued watching from a distance, still cursing himself for the committed crime.

The young man continued casting spells until one of them made the girl open her eyes slowly. He held her hand and she turned to see him; for a few moments, relief washed over the two males in the destroyed room. Maria's angelic face turned to see the young Shadow and smiled, then, her hand fell from Nicholai's. In between sobs and hiccups, he began to laugh.

Unable to understand Nicholai's emotions, ruby orbs were locked on Maria's porcelain face. Without any fear of the other male, Shadow ran to her side and hugged the young girl. Her deep ocean eyes were still open, she was awake! He held her tightly in his small arms and frowned, "Maria, I don't want to play this game anymore!"

Nicholai continued to laugh, this time hysterically; his eyes were wide and filled with tears. He regained his posture and said behind a twisted grin, "She's dead and there's nothing _you_ can do to get her back. You killed her."

The dark hedgehog's eyes widen in terror, "You lying!"

"Why would I lie my little _monster_?" the young man's expression contorted, "You killed her."

Denying every word the older man spoke, Shadow shook the girl on his arms gently, "Maria... Maria, I don't like this game!"

"It's not a game, kid," shouted the red-head, "she's dead..."

"I'm sorry, I'm really sorry! I'll be good next time... I promise! I won't eat any more sweets before lunch! I won't stick my tongue out at that ugly guy in the suit! I promise Maria... I promise!" he began to rock the girl on his arms back and forth, "I don't-- I don't want to play this game anymore!"

"She won't answer!"

"I'll be good," said the small hedgehog hiccupping very loudly, "I promise!"

"She's dead!"

"Maria!" shouted the ebony hedgehog. He continued sobbing and realized that she really was dead, and _he_ killed her.

* * *

A/N: I won't apologize, posting this chapter late was mostly my fault due to being a procrastinator... as well as some other bits and pieces. I guess this chapter didn't have much of Nicholai's story, but it has a bit of it. It was hard to write about him, even if he's my own character.

Anyway, like the quote said, I can judge my own stuff, and to tell you guys the truth, I _hate_ this chapter. I re-wrote it four times, each chapter with a different name, none pleased me. However, I had to keep the story moving on and I added this, I'm sorry if you're disappointed; I'll try to write something to make up for this next time.

_**Revised Heart in the Darkness: **_Also, since I think I lost my way in this story, and to make it better, I decided to make a revised version. To those who like this story, I would recommend to check it out; it'll have improved chapters, extra chapters, more detail, an improved plot, new twists, and other bits and pieces. I'll post it later today, so keep your eyes open for it. I would love to see your points of view, opinions, and even ideas you would like to be added to the story. I love pleasing my readers, so if you guys wanna say something, I'll be glad to hear it.

_**Sweat, Blood, and Adrenaline!: **_It is because I love pleasing my readers that I'm also offering a chance to cast your characters in my new upcoming story, _Sweat, Blood, and Adrenaline!_ If you would like to participate in the fic, please send me a PM or e-mail with your character(s) profile(s). I'm taking in teams now, so if you have applied already and think of getting a team in with your previous character, I'd love to get in the new info. Visit my profile for more details!

Every review makes me smile, thank you so much for your support!

Chapter 8: Departure

Those events, those memories...! Nicholai blames Shadow for Maria's death, but did he really kill her or is there something else to it? In search for more about his past Shadow decides to leave town; he has already caused enough damage there. Lead by anger towards Nicholai, he sets out in a journey that might lead him to his doom. Is there anyone that can stop him before he completely looses himself in the darkness now that Amy is... _gone_?

Thanks to: All my lovable readers and reviewers!

_Until Next Time!_


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